WSEMA Weekly Update – November 14, 2025

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WSEMA!

Some weeks I feel like a productivity machine. Other weeks…I find myself staring at a simple task on my to-do list like it personally offended me. For a devoted list-maker who lives for scratching things off my to-do list, you’d think procrastination wouldn’t stand a chance. But no…sometimes I jump on things immediately, and other times I, slightly embarrassingly, procrastinate like I’m training for an Olympic event. No rhyme. No reason. Pure vibes.

So, if you too have ever rearranged your whole desk instead of answering email or waiting until 10 p.m. to work on your weekly email…Hi friend! Welcome. Pull up a seat. You are among your people.

Let’s procrastinate together by reading this update, shall we? Let’s get into it!

Association News

  • WSEMA Challenge Coins: Keep sending in your ideas! I’ve already gotten some great concepts, but there’s still time to sketch something up before I default to putting my face on one side. You’ve been warned!

Emergency Management in Washington

  • Hurricane Milton: Social Media Insights in the Eye of the Storm: Hurricane Milton challenged emergency managers across multiple counties. Join WSEMA member Chris Smith on November 19th from 12-1, for a behind-the-scenes look at social media communication during the storm. Platform will be on Teams.
  • 3rd Annual Tribal Emergency Managers Forum: Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) hosted their 3rd annual Tribal Emergency Managers Forum at The Evergreen State College’s House of Welcome on Nov 12th. The forum created a space for state & tribal EM professionals to connect, talk mitigation, response, recovery and mutual aid.
  • PNW Could Face Energy Shortage During Extreme Conditions: A recent report warns that the Pacific Northwest could face power shortages as early as next year during extreme conditions largely due to rising demand, retiring fossil fuel plants, and lagging replacement resources.
  • WSDOT Closes North Cascade Highway: Due to winter weather impacting the passes, WSDOT officially closed the North Cascades Highway for the season. Expect this to last into spring as crews prioritize avalanche-prone zones. The temporary closure will be on SR 20 between Ross Dam Trailhead at milepost 134 on the west side and Silver Star gate at milepost 171 on the east side.
  • WA State Healthcare Situational Awareness Brief: Adult acute and ICU bed occupancy has increased this week. Pediatric ICU and acute beds have been highly variable over the past week but overall, the numbers are similar to last week. Adult and pediatric ED visits are also similar to last week. Boarders have increased state-wide, with adult and pediatric ED boarders seeing the largest increase. Adult Flu and RSV Hospitalizations continue to remain steady, adult COVID hospitalizations have increased over the past week. Pediatric COVID, Flu and RSV hospitalizations remain low. ARI, RSV, FLU, and COVID should continue to be monitored closely.
  • Have something you’d like me to feature?  Send it my way at president@wsema.org by 8:00 a.m. on Fridays. Trainings, news, shoutouts, or anything you think WSEMA should know about!

National EM Updates and Misc.

  • Federal government Reopens: The federal shutdown officially ended this week, restoring full operations across FEMA, NWS, federal training platforms, grants administration, and partner agencies. FEMA Independent Study courses and other online training platforms are either online now or expected to come back online over the next several days as systems reset.
  • How One Airport Prioritizes Its Emergency Plans: Over the last year, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), developed a system for tracking its plans to identify which ones need the most attention. This article describes the process used to score and prioritize ATL’s plans, which can be adapted for other agencies to help visualize their own data.
  • Alabama Emerges as a U.S. Leader in Disaster Readiness: Article exploring the state of Alabama’s transformation of its emergency management posture by adopting evidence-based mitigation programs (like its wind-storm retrofit grants) and creating a coordinated cross-agency resilience council.  
  • The Challenges of Emergency Response in Alaska’s Arctic Villages: When Typhoon Halong struck remote western Alaska this October, floodwaters and storm surge overwhelmed villages reachable only by air or boat, forcing mass evacuations and rescue efforts in terrain with no roads to most homes.
  • Behind the Scenes of Restoring Connectivity : A new docufilm “After the Storm: Rebuilding Networks, Restoring Communities” shows how broadband providers, utility crews, and government agencies collaborate in disaster zones. From navigating downed power lines, to damaged infrastructure and blocked access a glimpse into how they restore vital connectivity and help communities recover.
  • Record-low Temps Shock the Southeast: A sharp Arctic blast plunged parts of the Southeast into record-low temperatures, while several inches of snow blanketed communities around the eastern Great Lakes. Also, iguanas falling out of trees!
  • Homeland Security Today News
  • IAEM November Bulletin
  • Supreme Court Information as of November 12: Highlights of what was happening with the Supreme Court this week.
  • Leadership Skill – Self Editing: Article that poses good leaders don’t just act on impulse. They deliberately edit their behaviors, expectations, and responses, choosing to filter how they present themselves so their team can feel safe, included, and effective.
  • The Tribes of Washington: Washington is home to 29 federally recognized tribes, each operating as a sovereign government with its own emergency management responsibilities and authorities. Tribal nations contribute essential infrastructure and services, health centers, transportation systems, community facilities, and economic resources that often play a critical role during disasters. For emergency managers, this underscores the importance of building strong, consistent government-to-government relationships. Early coordination, shared planning, and regular engagement with tribal EM partners not only strengthen trust but also improve regional resilience and our collective ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

Resources & Training

  • Pierce County IMT Hosting IMTA Symposium in 2026: The Pierce County Type 3 IMT will host the Incident Management Teams Association (IMTA) 2026 Training Academy and Symposium at the Marriott Tacoma Downtown. Registration is currently open.
    • The Training Academy, offering position-specific courses, is scheduled for January 30 – February 2.
    • The Symposium, scheduled for February 3-5, will feature speakers from the incident management community across the country.
  • $19.4 Million Available for EV Charging Stations: Washington State Department of Commerce has a grant program open for funding related to installation of electric vehicle charging stations. Deadline is December 18th.
  • MRSC Trainings/Webinars
  • Have a training you’d like me to highlight? Send it to me! president@wsema.org