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To offer some examples, a town or densely
populated area has increased criticality in comparison to a sparsely
populated rural area when a tornado tracks on the ground – more lives,
property, and infrastructure at risk. An earthquake in a fault that
underlies a dam that contains a large reservoir places at risk a critical
resource, both in terms of water supply and in terms of its potential to
inflict damage. A local or state or provincial emergency operations center
located in a flood plain raises the level of criticality. A wildland fire
that encroaches on the urban-wildland interface changes the exposure. A town
located in a flood plain has clear exposure issues. When we consider the
approach of a tropical cyclone, the flooding and beach erosion effects can
vary based on when in the tide cycle the storm makes landfall – at high tide
beaches and low lying areas face a surge that is augmented by the height of
the tide. |