Improving earthquake mitigation : report to Congress.

Includes bibliographical references

The Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, as amended in 1990 (The Act), directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to convene a panel of experts to study the adequacy of mitigation capabilities with respect to a catastrophic earthquake, and to provide to Congress a report on that Study. The 1990 amendments to the Act (P.L. 95-124) reflect, in part, congressional concern about the lack of progress throughout the United States in implementing earthquake hazards mitigation measures as contemplated by the 1977 Act. An essential conclusion of the mitigation study is that the degree of nationwide earthquake hazard mitigation envisioned by the 1977 Act has not been achieved. There are many reasons why the program has fallen short of its goals, but one of the most important is that implementation of the mitigation techniques that are most likely to reduce the hazard is voluntary. The program supports a variety of activities such as the development of seismic guidelines for building codes, training of professionals in hazard-reduction techniques, promotion of preparedness activities by state and local governments, and the conduct of awareness campaigns to alert the public to the potentially catastrophic effects of earthquakes and to encourage preparedness