Scenario analysis looks at the potential impacts and losses if a particular event occurs. Scenario analysis focuses on “what if” rather than “what’s happened before?”

• Scenario analysis can incorporate monetary costs, casualties, down time, damage, etc.
• Scenario analysis can be helpful for low-frequency, high-consequence events (e.g., earthquake) – events where the planning team may not have a frame of reference for how bad the event could be.
• Scenario analysis uses modeling tools, such as Hazus.

This type of analysis can also be used to describe possible impacts for if different growth and development scenarios were to take place.