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.
