Reply to Comment by T. L Holzer [on “Comparison between probabilistic seismic hazard analysis and flood frequency analysis”]

Risk discussed by Wang and Ormsbee [2005] may differ from that of Holzer. Although there are some different definitions of risk among different professions, it is quantified by three terms: probability hazard (loss or others), and exposure. For example, in health sciences, risk is defined as the probability of getting cancer if an average daily dose of a hazardous substance (hazard) is taken over a 70‐year lifetime (exposure). In the financial world, risk is defined as the probability of losing a certain amount of money (loss) over a period of time. Wang and Ormsbee defined seismic risk as the probability of a structure being damaged one or more times (at least once) in t years (exposure) by an earthquake or ground motion (hazard) generated by the earthquake. This definition is consistent with that of Cornell [1968]. This is also consistent with those used in building codes, such as the International Building Code [ ICC , 2000].