Census Bureau Launches Disaster Risk Measure

The US Census Bureau has launched the Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) tool, to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) measure the risk of every neighborhood in the United States, should disaster strike.

CRE has been developed to gauge the number of people who are particularly vulnerable should tornadoes, high winds, flooding and severe storms strike. The tool can help determine outreach services, the number and type of personnel to deploy, and disaster assistance programs that can be activated to aid affected areas. It can also provide insight into a community's capacity to recover from a disaster, and where it will need the most help.

By designating 'at-risk' populations, CRE can determine if a person has three or more factors that make them especially vulnerable, such as no health insurance, no vehicle, a disability, or a low income-to-poverty ratio. Additionally, CRE can help FEMA determine how many people may qualify for its 'Individuals and Households Program,' which provides financial and direct services to eligible people and communities with uninsured or under-insured expenses, and serious needs affected by a disaster.

The Census Bureau says it plans to continue to work with FEMA and other government agencies to best meet their data needs.

Web site: www.census.gov .