Emergency management officials from across the state will gather August 4-5 for a conference aimed at planning for disasters and the mass evacuations that could follow.

The West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety will hold the third annual conference at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling.

The idea is to help small towns and cities to understand the roles they would play if a chaotic mass evacuation were to occur following a terror attack or natural disaster in an urban area.

Seminar topics range from how to conduct a regional study to addressing shared, cross-border concerns like how to deal with food, fuel, transportation, shelter and medical care.