Disaster Management

5-Year Update - Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024

Clackamas County's Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP) was approved in September 2024. The NHMP helps the County plan for actions that can lessen the impact of disasters on communities and reduce their post-disaster recovery timeframe. It identifies risks and community vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters and outlines long- and short-term strategies for protecting people and property. With approval of this NHMP, Clackamas County and participating partners are eligible to apply for certain project grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through September 2029. The funding can support a variety of projects to mitigate risks and reduce vulnerabilities, including retrofitting roads, bridges, culverts, and other structures to prevent damage from earthquakes, winter storms, or flooding.

Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Clackamas County updated the Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan in collaboration with public agencies, private sector organizations, and residents within the community. The County portion of the plan is included in Volumes I and III, while the addenda for Cities and Special Districts are in Volume II.

• Volume I – Clackamas County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (PDF)
• Volume II – Jurisdictional Addenda (PDF) 
  • Canby Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Estacada Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Gladstone Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Happy Valley Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Lake Oswego Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Milwaukie Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Molalla Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Oregon City Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Sandy Addendum (PDF)
  • City of West Linn Addendum (PDF)
  • City of Wilsonville Addendum (PDF)
  • Clackamas Fire District Addendum (PDF)
  • Clackamas River Water Addendum (PDF)
  • Colton Water District Addendum (PDF)
  • Oak Lodge Water Services Addendum (PDF)
• Volume III – Annexes (PDF)
  • Mitigation Success Example (PDF)
  • Mitigation Factsheet (PDF)

Hazard Mitigation Advisory Committee 

The Clackamas County NHMP is the result of a collaborative effort between the County, cities, special districts, community members, public agencies, non-profit organizations, the private sector and regional organizations. The Hazard Mitigation Advisory Committee (HMAC) guided the NHMP development process. The HMAC participants included representatives from the following jurisdictions and agencies:

• Clackamas County Departments & Agencies:
  • Clackamas County Disaster Management
  • Clackamas County Planning Commission
  • Clackamas County Public Health
  • Clackamas County Transportation and Development
  • Clackamas County Water Environment Services
• Participating Cities and Special Districts
• Partner Organizations:
  • Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Clackamas River Water Providers
  • Greater Oregon City Watershed Council
  • Metro
  • North Clackamas Watersheds Council
  • Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
  • Oregon Office of Emergency Management
  • Portland General Electric
  • United States Army Corps of Engineers
  • United States Forest Service

Significant Changes in the 2024 Update

• Update hazard-related information and data for improved characterizations of evolving hazards, such as drought, extreme heat and other climate change-related impacts.
• Improve the risk assessment section through an enhanced vulnerability assessment of community assets and infrastructure.
• Better integrate NHMP information in related county plans and planning documents.
• Provide mitigation and NHMP-related information in more accessible methods to the public, including improved educational resources and outreach activities

Hazard Mitigation Projects

Since 2006, Clackamas County has been awarded over $4 million in funding from FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance and the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority’s Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program.

Mitigation Successes

Clackamas County has several examples of hazard mitigation including the following projects funded through FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance and the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority’s Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program¹.

FEMA Funded Mitigation Successes

• 2020: HMGP-FM5327-13, Upper Sandy River Flood Warning System Improvements ($94,408)
• 2020: HMGP-5195-01, Flood Acquisition (no cost provided)
• 2017: HMGP-1956-05, Upper Sandy River Basin Flood Warning System ($45,046)
• 2016: FMA-PJ-10-OR-2016-003, Flood Mitigation Elevation (no cost provided)
• 2015: HMGP-1956-03, Sandy River Erosion (Channel Migration) Study ($125,000)
• 2014: HMGP-1956-02 Phase 2, Flood Acquisition ($315,609)
• 2013: HMGP-1824-08, Landslide Hazard Mapping/Risk Assessment ($121,876)
• 2013: HMGP-1956-02 Phase 1, Flood Acquisition ($101,925)
• 2013: HMGP-1956-02 Phase 1, Flood Acquisition ($266,614)
• 2012: HMGP-1824-03 Phase 3, Flood Acquisition ($353,606)
• 2012: HMGP-1824-03 Phase 4, Flood Acquisition ($243,868)
• 2010: HMGP-1824-03 Phase 1, Flood Acquisition ($140,763)
• 2010: HMGP-1824-03 Phase 2, Flood Acquisition ($281,445)
• 2003: PDMC-PJ-10-OR-2003-001, CCOM/EOC Seismic Upgrade ($272,000)
• 2003: PDMC-PJ-10-OR-2003-004, WES Tri-City Wastewater Seismic Upgrade ($333,290)
• 2007: FMA-PJ-10-OR-2007-001, Flood Mitigation Elevation ($128,672)
• 2005: PDMC-PJ-10-OR-2005-002, Clackamas WES Pipe-Bridge Erosion/Scour Relocation Project (no cost provided)
• 2005: EMS-2005-FM-E002, Flood Mitigation Elevation ($194,000)
• 2005: HMGP-1510-03, Partners For Loss Prevention Pre-School Seismic Safety ($1,527)
• 2005: HMGP-1510-09, Hazard Tree Mitigation Assistance – Oregon Department of Forestry ($10,000)
• 2005: PDMC-PJ-10-OR-2005-002, WES Pipe bridge Erosion/Scour Relocation ($2,057,133

Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program Mitigation Successes 

• 2019: North Campus Sabin-Schellenberg, North Clackamas School District ($2,500,000)
• 2017: Molalla Fire District Station 82, ($1,189,967)
• 2017: Sunnyside Elementary (Community of Clackamas), North Clackamas School District, ($1,500,000)
• 2017: Whitcomb Elementary, North Clackamas School District ($1,500,000).
• 2014: Clackamas Fire District Fire Station #12 (Logan) ($94,552) • 2014: Clackamas Fire District Fire Station #13 (Clarkes), ($71,582)

Other mitigation success regardless of funding

• South End Road, installed slope inclinometers and vibrating wire piezometers See city addenda for mitigation successes within each city and special district.

¹The Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program (SRGP) is a state of Oregon competitive grant program that provides funding for the seismic rehabilitation of critical public buildings, particularly public schools, and emergency services facilities.

Hazard Mitigation Assistance – Funding

The Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan was formally approved by FEMA and the County in September 2024. The County, participating cities and special districts are eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs while the plan is current, through September 2029. See a full list of grants.

Examples of Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants and programs include:

• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)
• Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Program
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
• Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program

The Clackamas County Office of Disaster Management is preparing for a major earthquake and we want you to be prepared, too. Please find a list of resources and steps you can take to better safeguard your home and family against disaster.

Preparing for an earthquake

There are lots of steps you can take to be as prepared as possible! Here are just some of the ways you can take care of yourself and loved ones ahead of time:

What to do during an earthquake

What not to do during an earthquake

An earthquake is a disconcerting thing. Many individuals react without thinking and take the wrong actions. Here's a quick list of actions to avoid:

After an earthquake

• Report Individual Damages
• Report Business Damages
• Additional Disaster Assistance

Earthquake monitoring and other resources

• Real-Time Earthquake Map
• Earthquake Hazard Maps
• Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

If you're interested in volunteering to help others during a disaster, we encourage you to seek out opportunities with the organizations that support our communities. For more information, please reach out to these organizations to see if there are opportunities that will fit your skills:

• Clackamas County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (CCVOAD)
• Member Organizations of the Oregon Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (OR VOAD)
• Clackamas County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (CARES)

Depending on where you live, there may also be opportunities for training and/or involvement in a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). We do not sponsor CERTs at the county level, but many agencies within the county offer CERT training. Each community will vary in the way they use their CERT in support of disaster preparedness, response and recovery. If you live within one of the following jurisdictions, please contact that agency directly for more information:

• Canby Fire District
• Estacada Fire District
• Hoodland Fire District
• Lake Oswego Fire Department
• Milwaukie
• Oak Lodge

By providing your contact information, community members can sign up to receive critical emergency messages by email, phone call and text during disasters and other emergencies. Important messages may include evacuation notices, shelter-in-place instructions, shelter locations and other critical safety information.

New to PublicAlerts? When you sign up, you will first create an Everbridge Community Profile using your email address or phone number. You will then complete your Clackamas County PublicAlerts enrollment, including the contact methods and locations where you want to receive emergency notifications.

When you sign up, you will first create an Everbridge Community Profile using your email address or phone number. You will then complete your Clackamas County PublicAlerts enrollment, including the contact methods and locations where you want to receive emergency notifications. Read this detailed guide.

How to Sign Up for PublicAlerts

1. Select Sign Up for PublicAlerts. 
   1. Signing up for the first time
      Select Sign Up for PublicAlerts and follow the prompts to create your Everbridge Community Profile. After creating your Community Profile, continue through the Clackamas County PublicAlerts enrollment process to add your contact information and locations.
   2. Already have a PublicAlerts account? 
      Sign in through Everbridge Community to access and manage your PublicAlerts information. Existing accounts may be linked to your Community Profile using the email address or phone number associated with your account.
2. Create your Everbridge Community Profile using an email address or phone number and verify your account. 
3. Complete your basic Community Profile information. 
4. Continue to the Clackamas County PublicAlerts enrollment. 
5. Add your contact information and the locations where you want to receive emergency notifications. 
6. Review your information and complete your enrollment. 

You can return to Everbridge Community to manage your account and PublicAlerts information.

The system is programmed with landline phone numbers, both listed and unlisted, from telephone company records. You must sign up here in order to receive alerts by:

• Cell phone
• Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
• Email
• TTY/TDD Devices

If the call is picked up by an answering machine, it will leave a message and not call back. If the number is busy or there is no answer, the system will try contacting your other contact methods. Once you have acknowledged receipt of a message on one device, the system will stop trying to contact your other devices.

By signing up, you can receive emergency notifications for your home or any other address (such as a business). You will only be contacted when the associated address is affected by an emergency.

Current Alerts

View current alerts in our community.

Our community is stronger when we prepare together. Take these steps now to help get your family ready and be ClackGO Prepared!

Tips

• Mobile phone users: You may receive a popup asking you if you want to use the Everbridge mobile app. If you do not want to use the app you may click cancel and you will be directed to the registration page.
• Remember to use the "sign up for notifications" button to create an account in the new system. Already signed up for PublicAlerts? Sign in through Everbridge Community to access and manage your PublicAlerts account. Everbridge Community provides one place to manage your profile and subscriptions to participating emergency notification systems.
• Signing up for the first time: Select Sign Up for PublicAlerts and follow the prompts to create your Everbridge Community Profile. After creating your Community Profile, continue through the Clackamas County PublicAlerts enrollment process to add your contact information and locations.
• Already have a PublicAlerts account? Sign in through Everbridge Community to access and manage your PublicAlerts information. Existing accounts may be linked to your Community Profile using the email address or phone number associated with your account.

The Technology

Community Emergency Notifications

Notifications are sent based on small geographic areas via*:

• Voice Call – may be text to speech or a recorded message
• Text Message
• TTY/TDD – hearing impaired devices
• Email
• Fax
• App – Everbridge Mobile App on Android and Apple Devices 

*The system contains traditional landline data, but does not contain cell phone or VOIP phone numbers. To receive these messages via any method, other than landline phone, residents must sign-up to receive the notifications.

Example scenarios:

• Active police incident in neighborhood
• Gas leak
• Evacuation of area
• Missing endangered person that likely hasn't traveled far
• Fire/Wildfire 

Disadvantages:

• Will only reach landline phones and those who have opted-in with other contact methods
• Misses visitors to the area whom would not sign-up in the system

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Different than a text message, WEAs are popup notifications on your mobile device. These alerts are only issued through participating cell phone providers to WEA-capable devices within the alert area. 

Example scenarios:

• Dam failure
• Volcanic activity requiring evacuation or avoidance of area
• Amber Alert
• Tornado Warning
• ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning Alert

Disadvantages:

• 90-character limit without attachments — this limits our ability to provide detailed, actionable information
• Only allows for county-wide notifications that spills over into other jurisdictions — this is why Clackamas County residents have received notifications for Salem recently 

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

EAS messages are sent via television and radio to the entire Portland-Metro (Clackamas, Clark, Columbia, Multnomah and Washington Counties) media market. 

Example scenarios:

• Extreme Weather Alerts/Warnings
• 911 telephone outage of a large impacted area
• Evacuation of a large impacted area 

Disadvantages:

• Large reach — should not be used for small incidents
• Will only reach people watching TV or listening to the radio 

Frequently Asked Questions

During flooding events, call ahead to ensure sandbag availability.
Sandbags are for residential use only.
All sites are self-service. Bring your shovel!

Sites have a limited quantity of bags on hand. Please purchase more if you will need a substantial quantity.

If your city is not listed, please contact your public works department to see if they have a pick up site.

County-sponsored sites

These sites are for all county residents. Check with the other sites to determine jurisdiction and availability.

City sites

These sites are for residents of the city.

Prepare! A Resource Guide
A 20-page booklet about ALL aspects of preparedness including sections for specific disasters developed by the Cascade Region chapter of the American Red Cross in collaboration with regional Emergency Management professionals.

Family Plan

Visit Ready.gov for information on planning ahead for disasters. En Español

Public Alerts also has a page dedicated to checklists related to disasters. 

Business Preparedness

• Getting Started

School Preparedness

• Emergency Planning

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods that are prepared for emergencies and disaster situations save lives, reduce the severity of injuries and trauma and reduce property damage.  In addition, working together as a team and contributing as an individual develops stronger communities and improves the quality of life in the community.

• Map Your Neighborhood

Chemicals are found everywhere. They purify drinking water, increase crop production and simplify household chores. You and your community are at risk if a chemical is used unsafely or released in harmful amounts into the environment where you live, work or play. Hazards can occur during production, storage, transportation, use or disposal.

Hazardous materials in various forms can cause death, serious injury, long-lasting health effects and damage to buildings, homes and other property. Many products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes routinely. These products are also shipped daily on the nation's highways, railroads, waterways and pipelines.

Chemical manufacturers are one source of hazardous materials, but there are many others, including service stations, hospitals and hazardous materials waste sites.

Varying quantities of hazardous materials are manufactured, used, or stored at an estimated 4.5 million facilities in the United States — from major industrial plants to local dry cleaning establishments or gardening supply stores.

Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons and radioactive materials. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in plants.

How can I protect myself from a hazardous materials incident?

• Visit Ready.gov for information on hazardous materials incidents

More Hazardous Materials Information

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Metro

General Pollution Safety Information

• Clackamas County - Solid Waste and Recycling
• Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Air and Radiation

The development of the Clackamas County Wildfire Protection Plan is a collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies as well as community members that have a vested interest in reducing losses from wildfire events. The CCWPP meets the requirements set forth in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and the National Fire Plan, while building upon the FEMA-approved Clackamas County Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan.

2024 Clackamas Community Wildfire Protection Plan (PDF)

Clackamas Wildfire Collaborative

Mt. Hood Corridor Wildfire Partnership

Flooding poses a threat to life and safety and can cause severe damage to public and private property. 

Sign up for PublicAlerts Evacuation map Road closuresSandbag distribution sites Report road concerns

River levels in Clackamas County are monitored by a network of river gauges that help us predict the when peak water levels will occur in our communities. We also work with fire districts to provide sand bag distribution locations to assist residents in protecting their homes from flooding.

If you find yourself in a flood warning zone:

• Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Turn Around, Don't Drown!
• Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.

Resources 

Damage from local floods

Flooding events during the last 50 years have ravaged parts of Clackamas County. Some of the results of these events include:

Documentary videos

• 1964 Christmas Flood Part 1: Clackamas-Willamette Confluence
• 1964 Christmas Flood Part 2: Sandy River
• When Christmas Was Canceled - Oregon City Shopping Center
• Delivering Mail During the 1964 Flood

The Pacific Northwest lies on the "Ring of Fire," an area of active volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Basin. While only Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens are known to have had direct effects in the county in the past, any eruption in the Cascades is likely to have transportation and economic impact on Clackamas County indirectly.

These hazards can threaten our county from near or distant eruptions and include:

• Mud and debris flows that can sweep down river valleys for tens of miles
• Ash clouds that drift downwind with ash fall potentially causing a severe medical and transportation hazard.

Prepare

For tips on preparing for volcanic hazards go to: 

• FEMA
• Oregon Department of Emergency Management
• Red Cross