HAZUS© was recently implemented for the first time in Montana. As the GIS Programmer Analyst on the Helena Area HAZUS Analysis Project, I assisted Lewis & Clark County, the City of Helena, and the State of Montana in learning how HAZUS can be used to mitigate and prevent losses due to earthquakes.

The project was a short-term, cooperatively funded effort to apply HAZUS, a GIS-based software program available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since the completion of the project, the Big Sky HAZUS User Group (BigSkyHUG)has been initiated to offer a statewide opportunity for those interested in promoting use of HAZUS in their communities.

If you are interested in learning more, or participating in upcoming HAZUS activities, visit http://www.hazus.org, contact your county Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator, or send a note here with your contact information.