An infrastructure vulnerability assessment methodology for metropolitan areas

This paper highlights an infrastructure assessment methodology that can be applied to a metropolitan area or geographical region. The methodology considers and accommodates infrastructure component significance, destructive events (both malevolent acts and natural disasters), and the consequences of a destructive event. The methodology is applied in a logical, sequenced fashion and uses algorithms to analyze the potential consequences, the relative importance of infrastructure components, and vulnerability levels to arrive at a relative risk for each event and infrastructure component combination. Mitigation strategies are then developed to minimize the risk and the methodology is reapplied to determine the relative risk reduction achieved Assessment results are provided to emergency management planners and municipal and regional managers to assist in preparedness and response operations.