The Emergency Management Agency was created to combine all Emergency Preparedness Programs including Civil Defense. By state law the Emergency Management Agency is a required County Department. The purpose of Emergency Management Agency is to mitigate potential hazards, plan for, coordinate, respond to and aid in recovery from all disaster situations whether natural or man-made.
Woodford County Emergency Management Agency (WEMA) provides disaster response coordination for all unincorporated areas of Woodford County and coordinates between the State of Illinois and any incorporated area of the county during disaster events.
There are multiple hazards which may directly or indirectly affect the residents of Woodford County. Some of these hazards include:
Hazardous Materials Release
Severe hydrologic events such as heavy rain, hail, and downbursts
Subsidence / Sink Holes
Many hazards, such as Volcanic Eruption or Hurricane, may not directly affect the residents of Woodford County. Many hazards will indirectly affect resident's ability to gain access to goods and services which pass through or originate in the affected areas. The increased cost of fuel and influx of evacuees from Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is a excellent example of how a event can have indirect consequences in areas not directly involved in an event.