Current and Future Exposure of Infrastructure in the United States to Natural Hazards

Henry H. Willis, Anu Narayanan, Jordan R. Fischbach, Edmundo Molina-Perez, Chuck Stelzner, Kathleen Loa, Lauren Kendrick

"Communities, companies, and governments at all levels in the United States are making decisions that will influence where, what and how infrastructure will be built. These design and policy decisions shape infrastructure, influence economic development, and influence future exposures to natural hazards for decades. Population growth and shifts, particularly those on the coasts, drive demand for new infrastructure, and, as a result, increase the exposure of infrastructure to natural hazards. These natural hazard exposures are projected to be larger and more uncertain in the future because of the effects of sea level rise and projected changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. Thus, incorporating natural hazard risk assessment into infrastructure planning is becoming both increasingly important and challenging. This report summarizes insights we have gained about the exposures...