Emergency Management

Emergency Management Program

The CRESA Emergency Management Program deals with all aspects of disasters within the community. Our Emergency Management staff work on projects related to:

• Preparedness - writing and exercising emergency plans, teaching citizens about personal preparedness
• Mitigation - finding ways to reduce the damage from disasters by taking smart prevention steps in advance
• Response Planning - activate the Emergency Operations Center to help emergency responders effectively coordinate during emergencies.
• Recovery - helping the community get back on its feet after a disaster

Hazard Impact & Vulnerability Analysis

Clark County, Washington, is a beautiful and scenic community in the Pacific Northwest. But like most of the Pacific Northwest it is also subject to an array of hazards including:

• Flooding
• Windstorm and Tornado
• Severe Winter Weather
• Earthquake
• Landslide
• Drought
• Chemical Emergency
• Terrorism
• Transportation Accidents
• Dam Failure
• Volcano
• Wildfire

Although some disasters, like earthquakes or volcanic eruption, may not occur very often, their impact can be devastating, and the effects may last for decades. Others, such as tornadoes, occur so infrequently that some residents aren't even aware of the risk.

Clark County residents are familiar with certain disaster scenarios, however, because they play out nearly every year. Flooding and windstorms are an all-too-frequent occurrence, happening nearly annually somewhere within the county.

Out of all the potential natural disasters in the world, the county is only immune to two: Located on the west coast, hurricanes do not impact this community. The county is also too far inland to experience any effects from a tsunami, or tidal wave, that might occur at the coast.

Clark Regional Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

The Emergency Operations Plan for Clark County, its Seven Cities, and Partnering Agencies was prepared by CRESA in 2018. The plan describes how Clark County, its cities, and its partnering agencies will prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against emergencies.