HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2026-4680
HR 4680
By Representatives Ryu, Bronoske, Simmons, Reed, Abell, Paul, Berry, Zahn, Pollet, Keaton, Barnard, Morgan, and Parshley
WHEREAS, The state of Washington is concerned about the well-being and safety of its residents and businesses, and seeks to provide resilient communities, where resilience is defined as a community's ability to withstand chronic stresses and acute shocks while still maintaining essential functions and recovering quickly and effectively; and
WHEREAS, Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently; and
WHEREAS, The state of Washington sits on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 1,000 kilometer long subduction zone stretching from British Columbia to Oregon that could generate a 9.0 magnitude earthquake; and
WHEREAS, The Puget Sound region has received funding from the federal emergency management agency's regional catastrophic preparedness grant program to address the risks facing the region in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake; and
WHEREAS, Access to energy during and soon after a natural disaster can improve recovery timelines and maintain access to critical services such as health care, food, and drinking water; and
WHEREAS, The tugboat, towboat, and barge industry and the Pacific Northwest economic region stand ready to create public-private partnerships, develop action plans, and undertake pilot projects and activities to improve regional disaster resilience cooperation and emergency preparedness; and
WHEREAS, The domestic maritime industry has a history of first response actions in the event of disaster, including removing over 500,000 people from lower Manhattan during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and delivering food, water, baby formula, fuel, electrical generators, and more to Maui after the devastating wildfires of August 2023; and
WHEREAS, The domestic maritime industry in Washington state employs 22,500 men and women that generate $1.5 billion in labor income; and
WHEREAS, The domestic maritime industry in Washington state stands ready to serve Washington residents in the event of a natural disaster; and