CEM Hazard Identification & Risk Analysis 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: A risk matrix that uses a 5Ă5 grid of likelihood versus consequence is primarily used to:
- Calculate exact monetary losses from a hazard
- Prioritize risks by comparing their relative severity and probability (Correct answer)
- Determine the legal liability for a disaster
- Map spatial distribution of hazards across a jurisdiction
Correct answer: Prioritize risks by comparing their relative severity and probability
A 5Ă5 risk matrix provides a qualitative tool to prioritize which risks warrant immediate mitigation by plotting likelihood against consequence severity.
Question 2: Which FEMA tool uses a standardized methodology to estimate losses from earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes for mitigation planning?
- HAZUS (Correct answer)
- WebEOC
- E-Team
- CAMEO
Correct answer: HAZUS
HAZUS is FEMA's GIS-based loss estimation software that models physical, economic, and social impacts of natural hazards.
Question 3: Social vulnerability in risk analysis refers to:
- The structural weakness of buildings in a hazard zone
- Characteristics of communities that affect their capacity to prepare for and recover from disasters (Correct answer)
- The probability that a hazard event will cause casualties
- The geographic concentration of critical infrastructure
Correct answer: Characteristics of communities that affect their capacity to prepare for and recover from disasters
Social vulnerability encompasses demographic and socioeconomic factorsâsuch as poverty, age, and language barriersâthat reduce a community's ability to cope with disasters.
Question 4: In event tree analysis, each branch after an initiating event represents:
- A different hazard source
- A success or failure of a safety system or response action (Correct answer)
- An independent root cause of the initiating event
- A cost estimate for mitigation
Correct answer: A success or failure of a safety system or response action
Event tree analysis branches forward from an initiating event, with each node representing whether a safety barrier or response succeeds or fails.
Question 5: Which hazard characteristic describes the speed at which a hazard event develops and strikes an area, affecting warning time available?
- Spatial extent
- Onset speed (Correct answer)
- Return period
- Cascading potential
Correct answer: Onset speed
Onset speed (or speed of onset) describes how quickly a hazard develops, which directly determines how much warning time is available to protective actions.
Question 6: A 'cascading hazard' occurs when:
- Two jurisdictions experience the same hazard simultaneously
- A primary hazard event triggers one or more secondary hazard events (Correct answer)
- A hazard recurs in the same location within a short period
- A single hazard affects multiple vulnerable population groups
Correct answer: A primary hazard event triggers one or more secondary hazard events
Cascading hazards occur when a primary eventâsuch as an earthquakeâtriggers secondary events like tsunamis, fires, or dam failures.
Question 7: Under the DHS Risk Lexicon, 'consequence' is defined as:
- The probability that a threat will exploit a vulnerability
- The effect of an event, incident, or occurrence (Correct answer)
- The inherent properties of an asset that enable harm
- The level of protection afforded by existing countermeasures
Correct answer: The effect of an event, incident, or occurrence
DHS defines consequence as the effectânegative or positiveâof an event, incident, or occurrence on operations, people, or assets.
CEM Hazard Identification & Risk Analysis 3
A risk matrix that uses a 5Ă5 grid of likelihood versus consequence is primarily used to: