Press Release
Public Works

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kittitas County Continues to Prepare for Emergencies and Calls on Residents to Provide Feedback.

Kittitas County, WA - 10/12/2023 - Kittitas County continues to invest to make our communities more resilient to natural hazards such as wildfire, flood, and drought. This year Kittitas County has also started updating its Hazard Mitigation Plan and is requesting feedback from the public.

To remain eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Kittitas County must update its Hazard Mitigation Plan every 5-years. Kittitas County residents can help with this update by participating in a brief mitigation and preparedness survey located online at www.tinyurl.com/KittitasCoHMP. También disponible en Español, www.tinyurl.com/KittitasCoHMP-Espanol.
 
This year, Kittitas County was affected by drought and the Department of Ecology issued a drought declaration. Junior surface water users were curtailed and proratable users received reduced allotments. The 2023 Progress Report details that significant progress has been made to address drought conditions through efforts led by Yakima Basin Integrated Plan partners. These drought mitigation measures include work to increase water storage and efforts by irrigation districts, farmers, and homeowners to adopt water conveyance and irrigation efficiency measures. 
 
Additional information about specific actions Kittitas County has taken is available in the 2023 Progress Report available on the Kittitas County’s Hazard Mitigation Website (https://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/public-works/hazard-mitigation-plan/).
 
As Kittitas County works to make our community more resilient to natural disasters, we also call on our residents to prepare your home and family for a disaster. More information is available at the www.ready.gov/plan website. Residents are also encouraged to sign up for alerts through the Kittitas County Emergency Management Alerts (Everbridge) system. When the Kittitas County Sheriff’s office issues notifications about a potential safety hazard or situation involving locations identified at registration, system users will be notified. To learn more and sign up for these notifications, visit: https://member.everbridge.net/index/337829242601599
 

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Samantha Cox, publicworks@co.kittitas.wa.us, 509-962-7523

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