Hazard Maps

Hazard maps are developed to illuminate areas that are affected or vulnerable to a particular hazard. They are typically made for natural hazards such as earthquake ground motion, flooding, landslides, liquefaction, and tsunami. Hazard maps are tools that when properly utillized by planners, developers, and engineers, can save lives and economic losses by avoiding exposure to some hazards while designing other development to mitigate or neutralize the potential negative effects of these hazards. 

Earthquakes and their secondary effects involve numerous hazards that can and are mapped separately where hazard identification and mitigation are a priority. Ground shaking can lead to soil liquefaction and landslides where there is a susceptibility to these hazards. Ground failure leading to damage to dikes and dams can lead to flooding so understanding the nature and extent of local flood plains is important in managing earthquake risk.

This section provides an overview of hazard mapping in the Pacific Northwest and provides links that lead to additional information and original source material:

• Tsunami hazard and inundation maps for the coasts of Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia. 
• Landslide hazard maps. 
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources Geology Information Portal