2017 Oregon Public Health Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Summary

Natural and human-caused hazards affect individuals, communities, health care facilities and public health systems. In Oregon, potential hazards include winter storms, heat waves, earthquakes, tsunamis, emerging infections, pandemics and bioterrorism. Public health agencies and communities should be prepared to respond to and recover from these hazards. Hazard vulnerability assessments (HVAs) can inform public health emergency preparedness planning. HVAs help communities recognize relevant hazards and take steps to deal with them. This helps lessen the impact on the community when a public health emergency unfolds.