Scenario Library

A severe weather event has triggered simultaneous activations across three counties. Mutual aid requests are piling up but the coordination process has stalled — agencies are duplicating efforts and critical gaps are emerging.

A major power grid failure has cascaded into water treatment outages, traffic management collapse, and hospital backup power warnings — all within 90 minutes.

A wildland-urban interface fire is threatening 3,000 homes. An evacuation order must be issued immediately, but there are major gaps in the transportation plan for vulnerable populations.

A rail car derailment has released an unknown chemical in the downtown commercial district during business hours.

A ransomware attack has compromised county computer systems during an active flood response, taking down CAD, dispatch records, and the EOC situational awareness platform.

A severe ice storm has left 45,000 customers without power for 72+ hours in January. Vulnerable population welfare checks are urgent.

A foodborne illness outbreak at a regional food processing facility has sickened 300 and is spreading through the distribution network across 5 counties.

An active threat at the county administrative complex has triggered lockdowns across all government buildings while routine emergency services must continue.

A humanitarian emergency has brought 500 displaced individuals to the county with no advance notice, requiring rapid coordination of shelter, medical, legal, and translation services.

A major storm has saturated the earthen dam upstream of a residential valley. Engineers are reporting critical seepage and the structural integrity is in question.

A severe storm moves over a sold-out outdoor concert (22,000 attendees) with no advance warning. Lightning strikes have injured 14 and a crowd surge has begun.

Three weeks after a major hurricane, recovery operations have stalled due to debris management conflicts, contractor fraud allegations, and unmet needs in rural areas.

A disease outbreak at a major commercial poultry operation requires mass depopulation of 2 million birds, with biosecurity, disposal, and farmer support requirements.

On the same morning: a gas pipeline explosion, a school bus accident with 14 children, and a missing hiker with incoming weather — all requiring immediate EOC coordination.

An explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant has created a large fire, multiple casualties, and an unknown smoke plume drifting toward a residential neighborhood two miles away.

A freight train carrying mixed cargo has derailed on an elevated urban corridor, damaging adjacent buildings and releasing product from three ruptured tanker cars.

A rapidly escalating respiratory illness has overwhelmed hospital capacity. Schools are closing, government absenteeism is rising, and public fear is driving panic purchasing and 911 overload.

Days of sustained rainfall have pushed the regional river to near-record levels. Forecast shows crest in 36–52 hours with wide uncertainty, and 8,000+ properties in the inundation zone.

An unexpected ice storm has coated roads with two inches of glaze and cut power to 85,000 customers. Temperatures will drop to 12°F overnight with a five-to-seven-day restoration estimate.

A transmission system failure has cut power to 400,000 customers across three counties. No utility restoration timeline is available, and multiple critical facilities are failing over to backup power.

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake — rare for this region — has cracked roadways, buckled a bridge approach, and ruptured water mains. Public Works crews, trained for storm damage, are conducting their first-ever seismic damage assessment.

Partial building collapses have been reported at two occupied facilities following the earthquake. Fire and rescue crews must triage between sites with limited urban search and rescue capability.

With the county's main bridge and two overpasses closed pending structural inspection, traffic is gridlocked and emergency vehicles are struggling to reach calls. The county has one structural engineer and a 6-hour wait for state inspectors.

Hundreds of residents are refusing to return home after the earthquake, fearing aftershocks, even though many homes show no visible damage. Mass care teams must open shelters while managing a population that may not need traditional disaster housing.

A fast-moving wildfire fueled by drought and wind has jumped containment lines into the wildland-urban interface faster than forecast, forcing an emergency evacuation of subdivisions that were only on a "be ready" notice. Law enforcement and fire crews must execute evacuation and traffic control with far less lead time than planned.

Smoke from a wildfire burning outside the county has pushed air quality into the "Unhealthy" range for two days, with no relief expected for 48 hours. Public Health must issue guidance for vulnerable populations while schools and community events ask whether to proceed.

A wildfire is pushing toward Tideway Farms, threatening livestock, equipment, and stored feed. The county has no large-animal evacuation plan, and the fairgrounds — the closest large open space — has never been used for emergency animal sheltering.

A growing wildfire has exhausted the county's firefighting apparatus, and mutual aid crews from three neighboring jurisdictions are en route. The county has no pre-designated staging area and limited experience managing multi-agency fire resources.

The forecast cone has shifted east, moving your county from the "likely impact" zone to "worst case landfall" zone with 36 hours to final landfall.

Hurricane made landfall overnight as Cat 4. Dawn reveals widespread destruction. Search and rescue requests are flooding in across coastal zones.

Shelters are at 140% capacity following landfall. Special needs shelter has lost AC on a 95-degree day, and a shelter resident has tested positive for a communicable illness.

96 hours post-landfall. Utility crews cannot restore power because debris blocks access. Debris crews need the same routes utility trucks need, and the community is furious.

A large manufactured home community took catastrophic damage. 400 families are displaced with no rental housing available within 50 miles.

Storm surge has displaced hundreds of vessels. Damaged boats are blocking navigable waterways, leaking fuel, and creating environmental and navigation hazards.

A tropical storm is forecast to make landfall in 72 hours while Hurricane recovery is still active. Do you halt recovery, re-shelter, and re-open the EOC?

FEMA PDA teams are conducting joint damage assessments to support a presidential disaster declaration. Local documentation is incomplete and the teams arrive in 48 hours.

18 hours post-landfall. Road & Bridge crews are running first-push routes to clear debris, identify washed-out segments, and get accurate road-closure information to the EOC before the public starts moving.

36 hours post-landfall. Facilities staff are assessing damage to county-owned buildings — including the EOC itself — to determine which can be safely reoccupied and which need temporary relocation.

5 days post-landfall. The economic development office is contacting local businesses to assess reopening status, identify needs, and brief elected officials on the local economic recovery picture.

72 hours post-landfall. The county's utility liaison is working with the power company to align restoration priorities with critical facilities as backup generators begin to run low on fuel.

A tornado outbreak has produced 6 confirmed touchdowns across the county in under 90 minutes. Damage is widespread, search and rescue requests are flooding in, and storm cells are still active.

Unprecedented rainfall has caused flash flooding across the county. A small upstream dam is overtopping — if it fails, 3,000 downstream residents face life-threatening inundation within 30 minutes.

A rare severe winter storm has deposited 8 inches of ice and snow, collapsing the county's road network and triggering simultaneous utility failures, shelter needs, and medical emergencies.

A historic heat dome has produced 10 consecutive days above 105°F. Cooling centers are overwhelmed, elderly residents in un-air-conditioned homes are dying, and the power grid is near collapse from demand.

Two hours after the last tornado lifted, Road & Bridge crews are working multiple damage tracks simultaneously to clear debris and reopen access for fire, EMS, and utility crews.

Building and code enforcement teams are conducting windshield damage assessments across the hardest-hit neighborhoods, placarding unsafe structures red, yellow, or green before residents are allowed back in.

Six tornado tracks have left power poles down across the county. The utility liaison is coordinating staging areas for incoming mutual aid crews and setting a restoration sequence.

Floodwaters are at their peak and the county's primary stormwater pump station has lost power. Without it, two neighborhoods will see water enter homes within the hour.

Floodwaters are rising across multiple low-lying roads. Public Works crews are placing barricades faster than drivers are moving them — and a vehicle has already driven around one into deep water.

One week after the flood, the floodplain management office is conducting substantial damage determinations on flooded homes — a 50% rule finding that can require costly elevation or reconstruction.

With only 4 salt and plow trucks for the entire county, Public Works must decide which roads get cleared first as ice accumulates and complaints pour in.

Sustained sub-freezing temperatures have caused heating failures and burst pipes across several county facilities — including an active emergency shelter.

With wind chills near zero and widespread power outages, social services staff are opening warming centers and checking on elderly and homeless residents who may not seek shelter on their own.

Record electricity demand from days of triple-digit heat has the power grid near its limit. The utility is requesting voluntary load reduction — and may begin rolling outages that could affect critical facilities.

On day 6 of a heat emergency, social services teams are conducting wellness checks on elderly residents in homes without working air conditioning, several of whom have not responded to calls.

Existing cooling centers have hit capacity on day 7 of the heat emergency. Facilities and parks staff need to stand up additional cooling sites — fast.

An active shooter event at the county fairgrounds has killed 6 and injured 22. The shooter is believed to be at large within the complex. 4,000 attendees are attempting to evacuate simultaneously.

A credible bomb threat has been received targeting the county government complex. A suspicious package has been identified. 800 employees must be evacuated and courts, EMS dispatch, and 911 are in the affected buildings.

A planned protest of 3,000 has escalated into civil unrest. Vandalism, fires, and confrontations with law enforcement are spreading to a three-block area. The county fair starts tomorrow.

The FBI has notified the county that a credible threat to deliberately contaminate the municipal water supply has been received. Testing is underway. A precautionary do-not-use order may be required for 120,000 residents.

A disgruntled former employee has taken three hostages inside the county administration building. Law enforcement has established a perimeter. Government operations are suspended.

Three fires have been set simultaneously in different parts of the county — a warehouse, an apartment complex, and a county vehicle storage yard. Arson is confirmed. A fourth location may be targeted.

Heat and dehydration have caused a mass casualty event at an outdoor music festival attended by 12,000 people. Fifty patients need transport; the county has eight ambulances.

Law enforcement has discovered 80 people in a shipping container at a warehouse — 12 deceased, 68 survivors with severe heat, dehydration, and trauma. It is an active federal crime scene.

A fire at a fertilizer storage facility has created a toxic plume of ammonia and nitrogen compounds. The facility is in an industrial area adjacent to a residential neighborhood of 5,000.

A freight train derailment has occurred on a rail line through the center of a small community. Six cars have left the track — 3 contain hazardous materials. The manifest lists chlorine, ethanol, and anhydrous ammonia.

A nurse tank rupture at a farm supply cooperative has released anhydrous ammonia. The rural location is downwind of two farmworker housing camps housing 400 seasonal workers.

An explosion at a manufacturing facility has caused a partial structural collapse and fire. 12 workers are confirmed injured, 8 are missing inside the structure. Secondary explosions are possible — chemical storage is on site.

Aerial pesticide application has drifted from a farm into a residential neighborhood and an elementary school. Thirty children are showing symptoms. The applicator has left the area.

A petroleum product leak from an underground storage tank at a gas station has contaminated the groundwater. A neighborhood well field serving 8,000 residents is potentially affected.

Law enforcement has discovered a large methamphetamine lab in a residential neighborhood. Toxic precursor chemicals require HAZMAT response, and a 500-foot evacuation zone affects 40 homes.

A contractor demolishing an old school building has breached asbestos-containing materials without proper containment. Airborne fibers have spread to the surrounding neighborhood over 6 hours.

A ransomware attack has encrypted county government systems including permitting, finance, public records, and the emergency management platform. Attackers are demanding $2.3 million. 911 is on a separate system but EOC tools are offline.

A cybersecurity researcher has notified the FBI that credentials for the county water treatment SCADA system were found on the dark web. An unauthorized login was detected 3 hours ago. Chemical dosing logs show unexplained entries.

The county 911 system has been taken offline by a coordinated DDoS attack. Call routing has failed. The backup PSAP in the neighboring county is overwhelmed. Landline callers hear a busy signal.

CISA has confirmed a coordinated cyberattack on the regional power grid has caused protective relays to trip at 4 substations. 180,000 customers are without power. Restoration may take 3-5 days.

The county hospital has suffered a cyberattack that has taken down electronic health records, medical device networks, and the patient monitoring system. Elective procedures are cancelled; ER diverts are being considered.

A cyberattack has taken control of the county traffic management system. Signals are cycling erratically across 120 intersections, creating gridlock and disabling emergency vehicle preemption.

A threat actor has sent an unauthorized Emergency Alert System message to all mobile devices in the county announcing a nuclear incident and instructing evacuation. The public is panicking.

On election day, the Supervisor of Elections has reported a cyberattack targeting voter registration databases and electronic poll books. Polling places cannot verify voter eligibility. Lines are forming.

Saltwater intrusion has compromised the municipal water supply. 80,000 residents are under a do-not-drink order with no timeline for restoration.

An extreme red tide event has closed all shellfish harvesting, generated mass fish kills, and is causing respiratory issues for beachgoers and coastal residents.

A large ALF has lost power during an extreme heat event. 120 residents, many on oxygen, are at risk. The facility failed to activate its cooling plan.

A phosphate processing facility has reported a breach in its holding pond. 400 million gallons of process water threatens a nearby river and downstream municipalities.

A boat collision in an inlet during peak tourist season has injured 30. The incident involves out-of-state and international visitors requiring consulate notification.

A credible threat against multiple schools has triggered a countywide lockdown. 45,000 students, 4,500 teachers, and 20,000 parents are involved.

A major wastewater pump station has failed during a large civic event, causing a raw sewage overflow into a bay adjacent to a public beach.

A major sinkhole has opened in a commercial district, swallowing 3 vehicles, undermining 2 buildings, and threatening a gas main.

A major highway bridge has been emergency-closed following seismic activity, severing the primary evacuation route and supply corridor at the worst possible time.

A fiber cable cut has taken down 911 CAD, county radio systems, and internet connectivity for an estimated 6 hours — during an active wildfire response with units in the field.

A 36-inch water main break is flooding a commercial district. Public Works is fully committed to other failures — and the private utility company is disputing jurisdiction.

A wind-driven wildfire has jumped a firebreak and is threatening 200 homes in a subdivision. County resources are overwhelmed and mutual aid has been requested but not yet arrived.

Six agencies are submitting conflicting situation reports. The Planning Section cannot establish a common operating picture, and command decisions are being made on bad data.

A wildfire has displaced 8,000 residents simultaneously. Official shelter capacity is 2,000 — already full. Six thousand people have nowhere to go before nightfall.

The state emergency warehouse is closed for inventory — during a major flood response. Emergency procurement is required for generators, cots, and water purification units.

A mass food poisoning event at a community festival has generated 120 patients simultaneously. All county hospitals are at or near capacity and requesting mutual aid.

A 6-story apartment building has suffered a partial structural collapse after a gas explosion. Fifteen residents are unaccounted for. Multiple rescue teams are converging without a unified command.

A chlorine gas release at the county water treatment plant has injured 3 workers and is threatening a residential neighborhood downwind. Shelter-in-place or evacuation — the team must decide.

An extreme drought has caused widespread cattle deaths across the county. Carcass disposal is becoming a public health issue, and the agricultural community is demanding an emergency declaration.

A substation explosion has caused a 72-hour power outage for 40,000 customers during a heat event. Life-safety facilities need generator support immediately. The utility company is not communicating clearly.

Civil unrest in three neighborhoods following a controversial incident has required 200 mutual aid officers from 8 agencies — while a flood response is simultaneously active in an adjacent area.

Ninety days after a major hurricane, the county must submit its Long-Term Recovery Plan to FEMA. Thousands of residents are still displaced, unmet needs are mounting, and the recovery group has not been formally activated.

DEP, DOH, and FDEM are each issuing contradictory public guidance about the same incident. The local PIO is caught in the middle. A Joint Information Center has not been established.