It was interesting to look back at these exercises and I loved looking at the name changes through the years. These exercises have experienced three name changes. In the beginning they were called TOPOFF for Top Officials; then, renamed National Level Exercises (NLE); and, finally – until we change the name again – they are called Capstone Exercises.
This year there isn't a "Capstone" exercise per se, but I think Cascadia Rising is the closest thing to a TOPOFF/NLE/Capstone event with a focus on the Cascadia Subduction Earthquake Fault as the hazard.
My major memory from the TOPOFF2 Exercise was how the planning for it made my eye twitch. Stress is what does that – and working with the feds and trying to get a semblance of regional coordination at the state and local levels was a nightmare.
And, those issues still remain. ... A new generation of emergency managers will have to try tackling them in the future. All I can say is, "It won't be easy" and it is unlikely to be addressed until after "the big one."
Barbara Spencer shared the CNN link above.
