Multihazard Risk Assessment of Electric Power Systems

Electric power systems are susceptible to damage due to natural hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Considerable effort has been made to develop methodologies for assessing the reliability of electric power systems under a single hazard such as hurricanes or earthquakes. However, there are parts of the world, such as the coastal areas of South Carolina, which are affected by both hazards. In such regions, more comprehensive risk assessment can be achieved when the focus is shifted from single-hazard to multihazard analysis. There is, therefore, a need to develop methods for quantifying the risk posed by the combined effect of multiple hazards on structures and infrastructure systems in these regions. This paper presents a framework for multihazard risk assessment of electric power systems subjected to seismic and hurricane wind hazards. The framework includes hazard and structural component vulnerability models, system reliability analysis, and multihazard risk assessment. A notional electric power network assumed to be located in Charleston, New York, and Seattle is used to demonstrate the proposed framework. The framework can be used for predisaster preparation, mitigation, and postdisaster response planning. (C) 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.