Applying Loss Measurement Guidelines to Assess Damages

该项目将利用在前一项工作中制定的损失估计程序，其中还编写了《损害评估手册》。这些方法将用于估计几个月前发生的两次连续的自然灾害，即雨果飓风和洛马普列塔地震所造成的损失。这两个具有完全不同物理性质的事件将成为检验案例，为确定经济混乱的程度和程度以及它们各自造成的直接损失提供了独特的机会。这两种情况之间的比较也将证实适用于任何自然灾害的新的损害评估程序的有效性。将解决五个问题：a)各机构遵循什么程序来估计直接损失，所使用数据的质量如何；b)使用《损害评估手册》，说明直接损失和经济混乱的程度；C)采取了什么措施来缓和经济混乱的影响；D)对历史遗迹和文化遗产的影响；e)使用了什么会计立场（地方、州或国家）。这项工作的结果将有利于研究界、审计后程序、保险和建筑工业、各机构、规划人员和行政人员。

The project will utilize the loss estimation procedures developed in a previous work in which a Damage Assessment Handbook was also generated. These methodology will be applied to estimate the damages produced by two consecutive natural disasters occurred some months ago, Hurricane Hugo and the Loma Prieta earthquake. These two events of a quite different physical nature, will be the test cases providing a unique opportunity for determining the extent and magnitude of economic dislocations and direct losses produced by each of them. The comparison between these two cases will also validate the effectiveness of the new damage assessment procedure as applied to any natural hazard. Five issues will be addressed: a) what procedures did agencies follow to estimate direct damages, and what is the quality of the data used; b) using the Damage Assessment Handbook, what were the direct damages and how sizeable were the economic dislocations; c) what were the measures taken to soften the impact of the economic dislocations; d) what was the impact on historical sites and cultural patrimony; and e) what accounting stance (local, state or national) was used. The results of this work will benefit the research community, post-audit process, the insurance and construction industries, the agencies, planners and administrators.