Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning

Fairfax County is susceptible to a variety of natural hazards, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as man-made hazards such as terrorist acts and accidental releases of hazardous materials. Some of these events have the capacity for catastrophic local and regional impacts.

Following a major disaster, complex issues with impacts far beyond county government will arise. The local economy may falter due to supply-chain disruptions, infrastructure failures, business closures and/or inaccessible work-places. There will likely be population displacement, housing shortages and rebuilding issues, and potential social and psychological impacts. 

While the effects of disasters are wide ranging and cannot be predicted, pre-event planning can position Fairfax County to recover from a major incident.

Methodical, thoughtful pre-event planning can establish priorities, decision-making structures and procedures, and recovery goals. These can focus and accelerate the recovery process during the stressful and often fraught post-disaster period. 

Fairfax County is committed to ensuring not only that stakeholder interests are considered throughout the Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning process, but that our nonprofit and private sector partners help drive and define the outcomes.

For more information about Fairfax County's Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning process, contact Amanda Phan in the Office of Emergency Management at 571-350-1010, TTY 711.