Imminent danger or threat to improved  private or public property or to lives, public health, and safety as a result  of an event that has a 20 percent chance of occurring in a given year is  called an Immediate Threat. Debris removal, emergency protective measures, and emergency  repairs to some facilities are eligible only if these actions are necessary  to lessen or eliminate an immediate threat. FEMA determines the existence of  an immediate threat. The following are examples of how the definition of an  immediate threat applies to various disaster scenarios:
   †  For a flood, the  immediate threat exists if a 5-year flooding event could cause damage to  improved property or threaten lives, public health, and safety. This is not a  flood that necessarily happens within 5 years, but a flood that has a 20  percent chance of occurring in any given year.
   †  For a landslide,  an immediate threat may exist if the earth on a slope could slide as the  result of a moderate amount of rainfall. A geotechnical study may be  necessary to determine if an immediate threat exists (see Geotechnical Study).
   †  For an  earthquake, an immediate threat may exist if moderate ground shaking, such as  might be expected during an aftershock, could cause further damage to a  structure or threaten the safety of the structure’s occupants.
   †  For a hurricane,  an immediate threat may exist if a facility damaged by storm surge could be  exposed to additional flooding from a subsequent 5-year event. Similarly, if  a wind-damaged facility is subject to additional damage by moderate winds,  such winds could be considered an immediate threat.
   References:   Section 403 of the Stafford Act 44 CFR §206.221(c)
   Public Assistance Guide, FEMA 322, pages 26, 38,  66-67, 71, 76