Incorporating Infrastructure Damage and Household Disaster Preparedness to Assess Emergency Water Needs

This paper introduces a framework to account for physical damage to infrastructure and household disaster preparedness in estimates of potable water needs after earthquakes. A case study is presented involving the water supply system to the city of San Francisco after a.... = 7.9 earthquake. Accounting for household preparedness helps identify regions in the city where water supply is interrupted, and many people may not have personal resources to access alternative sources of water. Considering both infrastructure disruption and household characteristics may inform decisions to allocate emergency water resources across the city during emergency response.

Automated summary

This paper presents a framework to consider the impact of physical damage to infrastructure and household disaster preparedness on potable water needs after earthquakes, using a case study of the water supply system in San Francisco. Accounting for household preparedness helps identify areas where water supply is interrupted, with many individuals lacking personal resources to access alternative sources. Considering both infrastructure disruption and household characteristics can inform decision-making for allocating emergency water resources in the city.