Resilient Counties Initiative

Basic page
Resilient Counties Initiative
Overview

Hurricanes, wildfires, economic collapse, and other disasters can be natural or man-made, acute or long-term, foreseeable or unpredictable. Preparation for and recovery from such events requires both long-term planning and immediate action.

NACo works to strengthen county resiliency by building leadership capacity to identify and manage risk, and allow counties to become more flexible and responsive. Through the use of sustainable practices and infrastructure, counties will be better prepared to address these issues in a manner that can minimize the impact on local residents and businesses, while helping counties save money.

Through the initiative, NACo:
- Develops strategies to foster economic growth and competitiveness;
- Educates counties on techniques for implementing resiliency and sustainability strategies;
- Provides tools for counties to educate their communities on resiliency initiatives;
- Identifies ways to leverage changing conditions and take advantage of new technologies and innovation; and
- Facilitates an open exchange with the private sector.
The NACo Resilient Counties Initiative builds leadership capacity to identify and manage risk, and prepare counties to become more flexible and responsive to system shocks and stresses. It has a holistic approach to resilience, examining social and economic resilience, sustainability and disaster management.

2016-11-02

Basic page

2021-06-09

Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Emergency Management in County Government: A National Survey

In May 2018, NACo conducted a survey to assess key aspects of county emergency management, including organizational structure, budgets and funding, personnel and training, use of technology and ways counties collaborate with other government entities and nongovernmental organizations. This report presents the findings from the Survey on Emergency Management in County Government.
Justice & Public Safety

Reports & Toolkits

Managing Disasters at the County Level: A Focus on Technology

This report explores how counties across the nation are leveraging data, mapping and application-based technologies to run government services more efficiently and less expensively to build resilience and self-reliance in the face of increasingly severe, frequent and costly disasters.
Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Managing Disasters at the County-Level: A Focus on Public Health

This report focuses on the public health aspects of emergency management from preparedness through to response. Case studies include Oklahoma County, Oklahoma; Harris County, Texas; and Sonoma County, California.
Community & Economic Development

Reports & Toolkits

Stronger Economies in Coal-Reliant Places: A Summary of NACo and NADO RF’s Technical Assistance Efforts in Appalachia

From October 2016 – July 2017, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation (NADO RF) partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to continue providing mentoring and technical assistance to eleven multi-disciplinary community teams from across Appalachia as they accelerated their efforts to diversify their traditionally coal-reliant economies.

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Overview

Hurricanes, wildfires, economic collapse, and other disasters can be natural or man-made, acute or long-term, foreseeable or unpredictable. Preparation for and recovery from such events requires both long-term planning and immediate action.

NACo works to strengthen county resiliency by building leadership capacity to identify and manage risk, and allow counties to become more flexible and responsive. Through the use of sustainable practices and infrastructure, counties will be better prepared to address these issues in a manner that can minimize the impact on local residents and businesses, while helping counties save money.

Through the initiative, NACo:

Develops strategies to foster economic growth and competitiveness;
Educates counties on techniques for implementing resiliency and sustainability strategies;
Provides tools for counties to educate their communities on resiliency initiatives;
Identifies ways to leverage changing conditions and take advantage of new technologies and innovation; and
Facilitates an open exchange with the private sector.

Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Emergency Management in County Government: A National Survey

In May 2018, NACo conducted a survey to assess key aspects of county emergency management, including organizational structure, budgets and funding, personnel and training, use of technology and ways counties collaborate with other government entities and nongovernmental organizations. This report presents the findings from the Survey on Emergency Management in County Government.
Justice & Public Safety

Reports & Toolkits

Managing Disasters at the County Level: A Focus on Technology

This report explores how counties across the nation are leveraging data, mapping and application-based technologies to run government services more efficiently and less expensively to build resilience and self-reliance in the face of increasingly severe, frequent and costly disasters.
Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Managing Disasters at the County-Level: A Focus on Public Health

This report focuses on the public health aspects of emergency management from preparedness through to response. Case studies include Oklahoma County, Oklahoma; Harris County, Texas; and Sonoma County, California.
Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Managing Disasters at the County-Level: A Focus on Flooding

This report focuses on emergency management for flooding, the most common natural hazard. County best practices from across the nation are used to underscore and exemplify each resilience strategy.
Environment, Energy & Land Use

Blog

Naturally Resilient Communities Online Guide Tool Launched to Help Counties Rethink Flood Protection

In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and five other key partners, NACo is excited to announce the launch of the Naturally Resilient Communities online guide tool

Resiliency

Blog

Weather Trends International Predictions for 2019

Were you expecting a below average hurricane season this year? Were you expecting a warm Fall? Are you expecting a warm Winter with not a lot of snow? In July, NACo 2018 annual conference attendees in Nashville, Tennessee heard from Weather Trends International’s CEO Captain Bill Kirk that those forecasts would be completely wrong. Bill is
Resiliency

Blog

NACo to analyze county mitigation and preparedness efforts

In tandem with the Strengthening Coastal Counties’ Resilience effort led by the National Association of Counties (NACo), in partnership with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), Coastal States Organization (CSO) and National Oceanic and Atmospher
Resiliency

Blog

For A More Resilient Rural America

“Rural communities are highly dependent upon natural resources that are affected by climate change. These communities also face particular obstacles in responding to climate change that increase their vulnerability to its impacts.” -- National Climate Assessment 2014
Resiliency

A firefighter watches a backfire set to control the spread of the Mendocino Complex fire. California’s largest wildfire in history has burned more than 366,000 acres so far. Photo by Dave Mills/U.S. Forest Service

County News

Counties power through largest wildfire in California history

Fueled by triple-digit heat and 30 mph winds, the largest wildfire in California history has challenged local officials as it engulfed more than 366,000 acres over the course of two weeks in Lake, Mendocino and Colusa counties.

Resiliency

Conference Agenda

Disaster Management Symposium Part I: Improving Your Leadership Role in Incident Management

July 14, 2019 , 9:00 am – 10:15 am

Join us for a conversation with local elected officials and county leaders who have experience in incident management to learn about best practices during all-hazards incident management. Disaster Management Symposium: Part II: An Interactive Roundtable will begin at 10:30a.m. in the same room.

Jubilee Ballroom 1, Jubilee Tower-2nd Fl. | Bally's
Resiliency

Conference Agenda

Resilient Counties Luncheon: Addressing Ongoing and Emerging Threats Due to Adverse Weather Patterns

March 2, 2019 , 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Adverse weather impacts counties’ ability to protect residents and infrastructure. Over the past three years, on average 25 percent of all counties received at least one major presidential disaster declaration due to devastating wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, tornados or other natural disasters.

Columbia 3 & 4, Terrace Level
Resiliency

Conference Agenda

Resilient Counties Advisory Board Meeting

March 2, 2019 , 7:30 am – 8:45 am

Holmead, Lobby Level
Resiliency

Reports & Toolkits

Emergency Management in County Government: A National Survey

In May 2018, NACo conducted a survey to assess key aspects of county emergency management, including organizational structure, budgets and funding, personnel and training, use of technology and ways counties collaborate with other government entities and nongovernmental organizations. This report presents the findings from the Survey on Emergency Management in County Government.