2019_KittitasCountyHMP_Volume 1_For Adoption

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CHAPTER 4. KITTITAS COUNTY PROFILE 4-10 Type of Event Disaster Declaration # Date Storms/High Winds/Floods DR-1079 01/03/1996 Severe Storms/Flooding DR-1100 02/02/1996 Severe Winter Storms/Flooding DR-1159 01/17/1997 Earthquake (Nisqually) DR-1361 03/01/2001 Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding DR-1817 01/30/2009 Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow DR-1825 03/02/2009 Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-1963 03/25/2011 Wildfires DR-4188 08/11/2014 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-4249 01/15/2016 4.5. CRITICAL FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE Critical facilities and infrastructure are those that are essential to the health and welfare of the population. These become especially important after a hazard event. Critical facilities typically include police and fire stations, schools and emergency operations centers. Critical infrastructure can include the roads and bridges that provide ingress and egress and allow emergency vehicles access to those in need, and the utilities that provide water, electricity and communication services to the community. Also included are “Tier II” facilities and railroads, which hold or carry significant amounts of hazardous materials with a potential to impact public health and welfare in a hazard event. Through a facilitated process, the steering committee defined critical facilities for this plan as follows: • A critical facility is a local (non-state or federal) facility or infrastructure in either the public or private sector that provides essential products and services to the general public, such as preserving the quality of life in Kittitas County and fulfilling important public safety, emergency response, and disaster recovery functions. Loss of a critical facility would result in a severe economic or catastrophic impact and would affect the County’s ability to provide essential services that protect life and property. The critical facilities profiled in this plan include the following: – Government facilities, such as departments, agencies, and administrative offices – Emergency response facilities, including police, fire, and emergency operations centers – Educational facilities, including K-12 – Medical and care facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, continuing care retirement facilities and housing likely to contain occupants who may not be sufficiently mobile to avoid death or injury during a hazard event – Community gathering places, such as parks, museums, libraries, and senior centers – Public and private utilities and infrastructure vital to maintaining or restoring normal services to areas damaged by hazard events