Adapting Services Provided to meet the needs of the many stakeholders following wildfires and the eventual flash floods

While the series of flash floods near Wenatchee, WA in July and August of 2013 surprised some, many were aware of the risk and better prepared because of the efforts of multiple local, county, and federal agencies. The Table Mountain wildfire left a burn scar in the mountains and canyons just above the town of Wenatchee, WA in September of 2012. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, a multi-agency collaboration attempted to establish a sense of urgency and emergency preparedness within the community due to the increased flash flood risk for years to come. The response was not limited to the public and the many stakeholders. The National Weather Service also recognized the increased threat and implemented new techniques to monitor and alert forecasters of conditions that could lead to flash floods. As the public, NWS, and other agencies responded and adapted to the new risk, another fire adjacent to the 10 month old burn scar erupted and escalated the flash flood potential for neighboring communities. Shortly after, fears were realized as thunderstorms dropped copious amounts of rain on the two adjacent burn scars. The outreach, partnership, training, tools, and response were all put to the test. The goal of this research is to analyze the various components and the overall effectiveness of the multi-agency and multi-layered responses as the events unfolded.