2015 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Wells County, Indiana Wabash River in Bluffton, Indiana, July 1998 Source: http://www.weather.gov Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated: May, 2015 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Wells County, Indiana Original Adoption Date: 2007 Updated: 2015 Primary Point of Contact: Wayne Grove Director Wells County Emergency Management Agency 102 West Market St, Suite 103 Bluffton, IN 46714 Prepared by: 1200 Waterway Blvd Indianapolis, IN 46202 www.polis.iupui.edu ii Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated: May, 2015 Acknowledgments Wells County’s multi-hazard mitigation plan was developed in 2007 by the Wells County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and updated in 2014-2015 by The Polis Center at IUPUI. The Wells County EMA would like to thank The Polis Center and the planning team for their contributions and assistance in development of a plan that will help the county to continue to build its capacity to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from disasters. Wells County Emergency Management Agency would also like to recognize Maumee River Basin Commission (MRBC) as a partner in this multi-jurisdictional planning effort. MRBC provides regional leadership and promotion of flood control, soil and water conservation, and related resource management through a coordinated and comprehensive planning and implementation approach. iii Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated: May, 2015 Acronyms AEGL - Acute Exposure Guideline Levels ALOHA - Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres BFE - Base Flood Elevation CAMEO – Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations CAPI – Community Action Potential Index CEMP – Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan CRS – Community Rating System DEM – Digital Elevation Model DFIRM – Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map DHS – Department of Homeland Security DMA – Disaster Mitigation Act EAP – Emergency Action Plan EMA – Emergency Management Agency EPA – Environmental Protection Agency FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRM – Flood Insurance Rate Maps GIS – Geographic Information System Hazus-MH – Hazards USA Multi-Hazard HUC – Hydrologic Unit Code IDEM – Indiana Department of Environmental Management IDHS – Indiana Department of Homeland Security INDOT – Indiana Department of Transportation IDNR – Indiana Department of Natural Resources IGS – Indiana Geological Survey MHMP – Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan MRBC – Maumee River Basin Commission NCDC – National Climatic Data Center NEHRP – National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program NFIP – National Flood Insurance Program NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWS – National Weather Service PPM – Parts Per Million SPC – Storm Prediction Center USACE – United States Army Corps of Engineers USDA – United States Department of Agriculture USGS – United States Geological Survey iv Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated: May, 2015 Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Section 1: Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 2 Section 2: Prerequisites ................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Multi-Jurisdictional Plan Adoption ...................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Jurisdiction Participation ..................................................................................................................... 4 Section 3: Planning Process ........................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Planning Team Information ................................................................................................................. 7 3.2 Review of Existing Plans....................................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Review of Technical and Fiscal Resources ........................................................................................... 9 3.4 Public Involvement .............................................................................................................................. 9 3.5 Neighboring Community Involvement ................................................................................................ 9 Section 4: County Profile .............................................................................................................................. 11 4.1 Geography, Topography, and Climate ............................................................................................... 12 4.2 Demography ...................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Population Change............................................................................................................................. 15 4.4 Special Needs Populations ................................................................................................................. 17 4.5 Income, Industry, and Economy ........................................................................................................ 18 4.6 Commuter Patterns ........................................................................................................................... 21 4.7 Transportation ................................................................................................................................... 22 4.8 Major Waterways and Watersheds ................................................................................................... 23 4.9 Land-Use and Development Trends .................................................................................................. 25 Section 5: Risk Assessment .......................................................................................................................... 26 5.1 Identifying Hazards ........................................................................................................................... 26 5.1.1 Existing Plans .............................................................................................................................. 26 5.1.2 Historical Hazards Records ......................................................................................................... 27 5.1.3 Hazard-Ranking Methodology .................................................................................................... 27 5.1.4 GIS and Hazus-MH Modeling ..................................................................................................... 30 5.2 Assessing Vulnerability ..................................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Identify Facilities ........................................................................................................................ 32 5.2.2 Facility Replacement Costs ......................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Profiling Hazards ............................................................................................................................... 33 5.3.1 Flood Hazard .............................................................................................................................. 33 5.3.2 Severe Thunderstorm Hazard .................................................................................................... 50 5.3.3 Extreme Temperatures .............................................................................................................. 54 5.3.4 Winter Storm Hazard ................................................................................................................. 58 5.3.5 Tornadoes .................................................................................................................................. 62 5.3.6 Fire Hazard ................................................................................................................................. 72 5.3.7 Drought Hazard .......................................................................................................................... 74 5.3.8 Earthquake Hazard ..................................................................................................................... 78 5.3.9 Dam/Levee Failure Hazard ......................................................................................................... 89 5.3.10 Hazardous Materials Release Hazard ....................................................................................... 92 Section 6: Mitigation Strategies ................................................................................................................. 101 6.1 Community Action Potential Index (CAPI) ...................................................................................... 101 6.2 Plans and Ordinances ...................................................................................................................... 104 6.3 Mitigation Goals .............................................................................................................................. 104 v Wells County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Updated: