For Politico, Eric Scigliano writes about the many local geological hazards that are not, somehow, accounted for in FEMA’s new National Risk Index. The ambitious federal project intends to map disaster risks across the country to aid in the allocation of funds for preparation. Among the omitted dangers are the Cascadia Subduction Zone megaquake that will devastate coastal communities with shaking and near-shore tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions throughout the Cascades. Scigliano explains which data FEMA excluded from its analysis, the index’s political backstory, and the ramifications of these omissions for the vulnerable communities that desperately need federal aid now to save lives when disaster strikes. Image: Michael Cornelius via Wikimedia Commons
