The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) held a virtual tabletop exercise Tuesday and Wednesday with state and local emergency managers and other government officials, public utilities, business and community leaders to discuss the San Antonio area’s preparedness and resilience for significant flooding brought on by severe storms in the region. The exercise, nicknamed Texas Torrent, allowed participants to review ways information is shared between partners and with the public, refine incident response plans, and ensure essential services could be maintained for community during a flood and throughout the recovery phase.
“Building resilient communities requires coordinated planning from all levels of government, the private sector, and other members of the community,” said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security Dr. David Mussington. “This exercise was an example of the type of proactive planning taking place in San Antonio. But the best laid plans still need to be tested to identify weaknesses and find ways to improve them. Working together, we can make the entire community more resilient going forward.”
“The ability to fine tune our appropriate response, continuity of services, and successful recovery from disaster events like those presented during the Texas Torrent exercise is priceless,” said San Antonio Fire Department Fire Chief Charles Hood. “Our continual participation in training events such as these highlight our dedication to ensuring that the residents of San Antonio will always receive the highest levels of protection and customer service.”
CISA is the nation’s risk advisor and works with public and private sector partners to defend against today’s threats and build more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future. The agency participates in dozens of exercises a year and has staff strategically located throughout the United States to advise businesses, schools and other organizations of all sizes on ways to enhance their security and resilience. Resources and tools are available on the agency’s website through its Hometown Security initiative.
