The Monterey County Community Resilience Plan is a guide for making Monterey County more resilient, by bringing the whole community together to better understand shared risks and capabilities during disasters and how Monterey County can become stronger, smarter and more capable of handling any hardships that impact the region. 

Monterey County has experienced 29 emergencies since 1953 resulting in a federal disaster declaration. Of these emergencies, about 60% were water-related, with 39% of these emergencies being storms, floods and/or slides and 25% wildfires. Although less likely, there is a also risk of experiencing: extreme temperatures, agricultural emergencies, erosion, sea level rise, tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, hazardous material exposure, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies and power outages. Climate change is linked to many of the hazards and episodes the County has experienced. Anticipated increases in temperatures and changes in precipitation caused by climate change will increase the frequency, duration and extent of climate induced emergencies such as wildfires, extreme heat, droughts and flooding. 

Disasters can cause road and bridge damage and can produce a need for large evacuations, creating congestion and costly repairs, while impacting the 11% of county residents employed in transportation. The funds from of Measure X (approved in 2016) and Senate Bill 1 (enacted in 2017) are helping to address these transportation needs; however there remains an estimated $3.27 billion in unmet costs of projects needed to improve local streets and roads, according to Monterey County's 2018 Regional Transportation Plan. Addressing transportation needs was a key concern expressed during the County's 2020 Community Resiliency Survey, with respondents noting the need for more public transit, as well as more maintenance of and improvements to roads, sidewalks and bike lanes.  

During the Committee meeting, County Office of Emergency Services staff will present on the goals and initiatives included in the draft Community Resiliency Plan, aimed at protecting public safety by strengthening the transportation system.