No one assumes the risks alone. Insurance costs will be higher for property in these high-risk areas in order to accommodate the greater losses that insurers will sustain. Additional insurance may be required for coverage of specific hazards, such as earthquakes or hurricanes. High insurance costs, or the lack of availability of insurance in high-hazard areas, limits development in these areas. A critical step in a comprehensive risk management system in reducing damage and loss of life is to develop and maintain early warning systems to collect information about impending disastrous events.
People can then prepare in advance or evacuate from hazardous areas.
This is a key role that is fulfilled by the U.S. Geological Survey for geologic hazards, by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for tsunami, and by the National Weather Service for hurricanes and flooding. The step in a risk reduction program that we, as a society, do best is to have response teams that are trained and ready to act in emergencies. Correct information must be available for the emergency response teams as to where the damage is the most severe, so they can go to those areas quickly. This is also a role played by the U.S. Geological Survey, which provides information about the locations of earthquakes and of lava flows. These agencies can be overwhelmed if the hazard is not properly identified or quantified or if events occur infrequently.