Laserfiche WebLink
2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan <br />Kittitas County, Washington <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 4: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 55 <br />Although FEMA only requires and reviews natural hazards in hazard mitigation plans, Kittitas County <br />decided to rank and mitigate against communicable diseases/pandemic. Due to the nature of non-natural <br />hazards and the discretionary status regarding their inclusion, communicable disease/pandemic has <br />been briefly and qualitatively assessed for the sake of public education and informing its inclusion within <br />the hazard ranking and mitigation process. Hazards that have been identified as significant in Kittitas <br />County and will be considered in this Plan are listed in Table 4-1. <br />Table 4-1. Kittitas County Hazards <br />Natural Hazards <br />Avalanche <br />Dam and Levee Failure <br />Drought <br />Earthquake <br />Flood <br />Landslide <br />Severe Weather (Thunderstorms, Hail, Tornado, Strong Winds/Damaging Winds, Heat Wave/Extreme Heat, and Cold <br />Wave/Extreme Cold) <br />Winter Weather (Ice Storm, Heavy Snow/Blizzard) <br />Volcanic Activity <br />Wildfire (Wildfire Smoke) <br />Human-Caused/Technological Hazards <br />Communicable Diseases/Pandemic <br /> <br />Per FEMA’s requirement to consider all natural hazards, the following natural hazards were not included <br />because these hazards are not considered significant for Kittitas County due to its geographic location <br />and lack of significant historical occurrences. <br /> <br />• Coastal Flooding <br />• Hurricane <br />• Lightning <br />• Tsunami <br />4.2. PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER AND EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS <br />Kittitas County has had 16 Major Disaster Declarations (DR), two (2) Emergency Declarations (EM), and <br />eight (8) Fire Disaster Declarations (FR) between 1964 and 2023, listed in Table 4-2, according to <br />FEMA.47F <br />48 This lists shows the foundation for identifying what hazards pose the most significant risk within <br />the County. <br /> <br /> <br />48 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2023). Disaster Declaration for States and Counties. Retrieved from <br />https://www.fema.gov/data-visualization/disaster-declarations-states-and-counties.