Why doesn PAGER estimate loss of life or property?
Estimating casualties and property damage requires information beyond the number of people exposed to shaking. Loss estimates are currently produced using sophisticated methodologies and software including FEMA’s HAZUS. These methodologies require databases of building inventories and estimates of building strength. No such database exists on a global scale so the USGS is conducting research and tests on empirically calibrated loss models and hybrid models that use available inventory data. Output from these models will be incorporated into PAGER results.
