Vashon and Maury Islands (henceforth referred to as the Island or Vashon), the largest island in Puget Sound is located in King County, in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area. The Island has 45 miles of shoreline and is approximately 13 miles long and 8 miles at the widest point. Vashon is an unincorporated area of King County and has a population of approximately 10,800. The Island could encounter numerous hazards such as a natural or environmental disaster, a terrorist attack, or public health emergency and, as an island that is only accessible by ferry, could be isolated from mainland emergency resources. The following natural or man-made hazards are the prime consideration of this Emergency Operations Plan and are covered in more detail in the Hazard Mitigation Plan:
- Drought
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Landslide
- Severe Wind
- Snow/Ice
- Tsunami/Seiches
- Volcanism
- Wild Fire
- Lightning
- Mass Casualty
- Terrorist Attack
- Ferry Service Disruption
- Utility Interruption
- Transport Incident
- Armed Attack Bomb Incident
- BENICE
- Haz Materials
- Civil Disorder
- Cyber-terrorism
Accordingly, the situation is as follows:
- Vashon Island faces a wide array of risks, which may pose a significant threat to the population and property within the city. These include natural, human-caused and technological emergencies or disasters.
- Depending upon the extent and nature of the disaster or emergency, a potential condition exists that may severely hamper the economic and physical infrastructure Island.
- Vashon Island may be isolated for a long period of time (3- 10 days) without outside assistance.
- A catastrophic disaster may overwhelm local and state governments in providing a timely and effective response to meet the needs of the situation.