Community preparedness — Washington
Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfire, flooding, and landslides across 39 counties. WSU Extension statewide. 40+ ham radio clubs. CERT teams from Seattle to Spokane. Washington prepares for disasters on a geological scale.
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Community calendar
39
County extension offices
3
NWS forecast offices
40+
Amateur radio clubs
34
Community/technical colleges
Where to plug in
Washington's hazard profile spans the full Pacific Northwest spectrum: Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami risk on the coast, volcanic hazard from Mount Rainier and other Cascades peaks, wildfire across eastern Washington, flooding, landslides, and severe winter storms. WSU Extension in all 39 counties builds resilience across a state as geologically dramatic as any in the country.
Washington State University Extension serves all 39 counties. WA's agricultural economy — apples, wine grapes, wheat, hops, dairy, potatoes — is one of the most diversified in the country. Programming spans agriculture, horticulture, food safety, nutrition, 4-H, natural resources, and community development. WSU Extension's earthquake preparedness programming addresses the Cascadia Subduction Zone threat.
The Master Gardener program trains volunteers for Washington's wide range of growing conditions — from the wet west side to the dry Columbia Basin. Extension runs Firewise workshops, food preservation, farm resilience, and water rights education. After the 2014 Oso Landslide, extension helped affected Snohomish County families navigate recovery resources.
Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division (EMD) coordinates the state's all-hazards emergency program. Washington's EM planning addresses simultaneous multi-hazard events — the Cascadia earthquake would simultaneously cause tsunamis on the coast, landslides in the mountains, and infrastructure failure across the entire Puget Sound region, all at the same time.
CERT programs are active across Washington. King (Seattle), Pierce (Tacoma), Snohomish, Spokane, Clark (Vancouver), Whatcom (Bellingham), and other counties run programs. After the March 2014 Oso Landslide killed 43 people in Snohomish County, CERT enrollment and landslide awareness grew significantly statewide. Training is free.
The American Red Cross Northwest Region serves Washington and Oregon. First aid, CPR, AED, and water safety classes are offered in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellingham, Vancouver, and other communities year-round. Washington Red Cross maintains Cascadia earthquake/tsunami-specific response plans. During the 2014 Oso Landslide, Red Cross deployed to support survivors and families in Snohomish County. Volunteer entry points include shelter operations, disaster assessment, and feeding.
Washington has over 40 amateur radio clubs in the ARRL Washington Section. Washington ARES trains specifically for Cascadia earthquake response — a full CSZ rupture would damage cell infrastructure across the entire west side of the state simultaneously, making ham radio the primary backup. ARES teams also activate for wildfire evacuations in eastern Washington. Getting licensed costs $15. Study at hamstudy.org.
Three NWS offices serve Washington: Seattle (western WA, the Puget Sound lowlands, and the Cascades), Spokane (eastern WA), and Pendleton OR (southeastern WA). Each runs SKYWARN spotter training. Washington's weather hazards include Pacific windstorms, mountain snow and avalanche, wildfire in eastern Washington, flooding from the Cascades, and volcanic lahars from Rainier and other peaks. Training is free.
Washington has over 330 public library locations through county and city systems overseen by the Washington State Library. King County Library System, Seattle Public Library, Spokane Public Library, and Pierce County Library run extensive programming. Washington libraries serve as information hubs and emergency resources for diverse communities across the state.
Washington has 34 community and technical colleges in the SBCTC system, including Bellevue College, Spokane Community College, Tacoma Community College, Cascadia College, and others. They offer EMT certification, wildland firefighting, nursing, welding, marine technology, IT, and aircraft maintenance programs.
Why this matters
On March 22, 2014, a hillside above the North Fork Stillaguamish River in Snohomish County, Washington, collapsed without warning. In seconds, a wall of debris over a mile wide buried the community of Steelhead Haven and blocked a stretch of Highway 530. Forty-three people were killed. It was the deadliest landslide in U.S. history.
In the first minutes, survivors and neighbors began the search. Residents from nearby communities drove toward the slide rather than away. Snohomish County's search and rescue team — including CERT-trained volunteers — was on scene rapidly. Ham radio operators established emergency communications. The initial search was a community effort before any organized emergency response could fully deploy.
The Oso Landslide reshaped how Washington thinks about landslide risk, which exists across much of the state's mountainous terrain. WSU Extension partnered with county EM offices to expand landslide awareness education. CERT programs in Snohomish County expanded. The landslide also reinforced the broader lesson about Cascadia preparedness: in a state facing potential simultaneous, statewide disasters, community networks are the first and most important response layer.
The organizations on this page build those networks across all 39 Washington counties.
The foundation
Community resilience begins with a household that can take care of itself. Cover the first 72 hours, then extend outward to your street, your neighborhood, your town.
Start with the first 72 hours