Posted Wednesday, August 3, 2023.


Working Together to Keep Huntington County Safer and More Prepared

20230802 Hazard Mitigation Plan

Manuela Johnson, resource planner for Christopher Burke Engineering, leads a Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan risk assessment session on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at the Huntington City-Township Public Library. Officials and representatives from Huntington, Adams and Wells counties; the City of Huntington and its Police and Fire departments; local municipalities Mt. Etna, Bippus, Andrews, Markle and Roanoke; and local organizations Parkview Huntington Hospital, C.F. Industries, Koch Fertilizer and Schenkel Development were in attendance.


HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Agencies from across Huntington County and its neighbors came together on Wednesday, August 2, to begin updating the strategic Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Huntington County, the City of Huntington and their representatives would like to extend their gratitude to everyone involved in disaster response planning to keep our residents safe and protect their most valuable property and belongings in the event of disaster or emergency.

Bob Jeffers, director of Huntington County’s Emergency Management Agency, explained that the mitigation plan is re-evaluated every five years under federal guidelines. Upon the plan’s local adoption and subsequent Federal Emergency Management Agency approval, residents of our communities gain assurances of federal post-disaster relief following an event such as a tornado, flooding, wildfire, drought or severe winter storm, among others.

“What I want Huntington County residents to know is that we are doing our planning efforts and trying to mitigate any hazards that we can to make the public safer,” Jeffers said.

Christopher Burke Engineering will draft the updated Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, and Manuela Johnson, the firm’s resource planner, led an initial risk assessment session on August 2 at the Huntington City-Township Public Library. Officials and representatives from Huntington, Adams and Wells counties; the City of Huntington and its Police and Fire departments; and local municipalities Mt. Etna, Bippus, Andrews, Markle and Roanoke worked together to gauge risk levels across 11 disaster categories. Parkview Huntington Hospital, C.F. Industries, Koch Fertilizer and Schenkel Development also had representatives in attendance.

Using what is known as the Calculated Priority Risk Index (CPRI), the group scored each disaster type by its likelihood of occurring in the next one, three, five or 10 years and its potential magnitude, duration and available warning time. The preliminary assessments are shown below, though they are subject to change during the ongoing evaluation process.

  • Drought – Elevated.
  • Earthquake – Low.
  • Extreme Temperatures – Elevated.
  • Fire and Wildland Fires – Elevated to Severe.
  • Flooding – Elevated.
  • Storms (hail, thunder, wind) – Severe.
  • Land Subsidence, Landslides and Fluvial Erosion Hazards – Low.
  • Snow and Ice Storms – Elevated to Severe.
  • Tornadoes – Elevated.
  • Dam (collapse, breach or failure) – Elevated.
  • Hazardous Materials – Low.

Next, a second meeting will be held in autumn 2023. Using the CPRI scores to guide planning and prioritize resources, the group will evaluate mitigation and resiliency plans for each disaster type to ensure Huntington County, each of its communities and its neighbors stand ready and prepared in the face of a sudden, unplanned disaster.