On the agenda: Newton County Newton County Multi Hazard Mitigation plan — data center (Sep 15)

For Immediate Release
Media Release Date: 8/18/2026
Contact: Matthew VanDrunen, Newton County EMA 219-285-0833

Public Presentation of the Newton County
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
Kentland, IN 8/18/2026 – Newton County, in cooperation with the towns of Brook, Goodland, Kentland,
Morocco, and Mt. Ayr have prepared an update to the Newton Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP) to
address the risk and vulnerability of communities in the county which may be affected by known natural,
technological, and political hazards.
The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) requires communities to update their MHMP every five
years in order to be eligible for any future mitigation funding through the Indiana Department of
Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The intent of the MHMP is to plan
for a disaster before it occurs in order to reduce the physical, social and economic impact of that disaster.
The draft Newton County MHMP Update may be accessed on the Newton County website
www.newtoncounty.in.gov at your convenience. Topics covered in the update include: an overview of
the planning requirements; a summary of the risk assessment and vulnerability analysis; and proposed
mitigation projects for prevention, property protection, natural resource protection, emergency
services, structural control projects, and public information.
Comments will be accepted through Friday, 09/04/2026. Please submit comments to Matthew
VanDrunen, EMA Director at 219-285-0833 or [email protected]
---END---

NEWTON COUNTY
MULTI-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
SEPTEMBER 2026

Prepared for:
Newton County Emergency Management Agency
3218 W. 100 N.
Morocco, IN 47963

Prepared by:
Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC
111 Monument Circle, Suite 3500
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Burke Project No. 19.R250050.00000

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 5
CHAPTER 1:
1.1

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 9

Disaster Life Cycle ....................................................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 2:

PLANNING PROCESS ................................................................................. 11

2.1

Schedule ..................................................................................................................................... 12

2.2

Planning Committee and Interested Parties Involvement..................................................... 12

2.3

Public Involvement .................................................................................................................... 13

2.4

Plans, Studies, Reports, and Technical Information ............................................................... 13

CHAPTER 3:

DATA GATHERING ..................................................................................... 15

3.1

Critical and Essential Facilities ................................................................................................. 16

3.2

Community Capacity ................................................................................................................. 17

CHAPTER 4:
4.1

RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................... 19

Hazard Identification ................................................................................................................. 19
Hazard Selection .............................................................................................................. 19
Hazard Ranking ................................................................................................................ 20

4.2

Hazard Profiles ........................................................................................................................... 22
Drought ............................................................................................................................ 23
Earthquake ....................................................................................................................... 28
Extreme Temperatures ................................................................................................... 32
Fires and Wildfire ............................................................................................................ 37
Flood ................................................................................................................................. 41
Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm ................................................................... 54
Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion ........................................................ 58
Tornado ............................................................................................................................ 62
Winter Storms and Ice ..................................................................................................... 66
Dam and Levee Failure ................................................................................................... 71
Hazardous Material Incident .......................................................................................... 75

4.3

Hazard Summary ....................................................................................................................... 79

CHAPTER 5:

MITIGATION STRATEGY ............................................................................ 82

5.1

Mitigation Goal .......................................................................................................................... 82

5.2

Mitigation Practices ................................................................................................................... 82
Existing Mitigation Practices........................................................................................... 83
Proposed Mitigation Practices ....................................................................................... 85

Newton County MHMP
Page 1

CHAPTER 6:

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ........................................................................... 91

6.1

Emergency Preparedness and Warning ................................................................................. 91

6.2

Emergency Response and Recovery ....................................................................................... 91

6.3

Land Use and Zoning ................................................................................................................ 92

6.4

Safe Rooms and Community Shelters ..................................................................................... 92

6.5

Water Management .................................................................................................................. 92

CHAPTER 7:

PLAN MAINTENANCE PROCESS ................................................................ 93

7.1

Monitoring, Evaluating, and Updating the Plan ..................................................................... 93

7.2

Incorporation into Existing Planning Mechanisms................................................................. 94

7.3

Continued Public Involvement ................................................................................................ 95

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………. .. 97

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure i: Disaster Life Cycle ........................................................................................................................ 5
Figure 1: Disaster Life Cycle ....................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 2: NFIP/CRS .................................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 3: Newton County Location .......................................................................................................... 15
Figure 4: Newton County Courthouse .................................................................................................... 16
Figure 5: U.S. Drought Monitor Classification Descriptions .................................................................. 23
Figure 6: Drought Occurrence in Newton County 2021-2025 ............................................................. 24
Figure 7: Annual Maximum Temperatures from 1895 - 2024 ............................................................... 25
Figure 8: Crop Failure Caused by Drought ............................................................................................ 26
Figure 9: Earthquake Risk Areas in the U.S. ............................................................................................ 28
Figure 10: Newton County Liquefaction Potential Areas ...................................................................... 29
Figure 11: NWS Heat Index Chart ............................................................................................................ 32
Figure 12: Extreme Heat Effects by Heat Index ...................................................................................... 33
Figure 13: Wind Chill Guide ..................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 14: Extreme Cold ........................................................................................................................... 34
Figure 15: Extreme Heat ........................................................................................................................... 35
Figure 16: Newton County Field Fire ...................................................................................................... 37
Figure 17: Local Structure Fire in Newton County ................................................................................. 39
Figure 18: Indiana Flash Flood from 2023 .............................................................................................. 41
Figure 19: Newton County Stream Gage Locations .............................................................................. 42
Figure 20: Annual Precipitation from 1895 - 2024 ................................................................................. 44
Figure 21: Newton County NFIP Flood Map 12/16/2014 ..................................................................... 46

September 2026
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Figure 22: Extreme Precipitation Events in Indiana ............................................................................... 47
Figure 23: Annual Average Precipitation Rise from 1895 to 2016 ...................................................... 47
Figure 24: Sample of Flood Designated Areas Around the Town of Brook ....................................... 51
Figure 25: Non-Levee Embankments Along the Kankakee River ........................................................ 52
Figure 26: Damage from High Thunderstorm Winds ........................................................................... 56
Figure 28: Landslide Susceptibility in Newton County ......................................................................... 59
Figure 29: Siren Locations in Newton County ....................................................................................... 65
Figure 30: Indiana Travel Advisory Levels .............................................................................................. 67
Figure 31: Newton County Minimum Temperatures from 1895 to 2024 ........................................... 67
Figure 32: Newton County Transportation Map .................................................................................... 75
Figure 33: Hazardous Material Spill ........................................................................................................ 77

LIST OF TABLES
Table i: CPRI Ranking for All Hazards......................................................................................................... 7
Table 1: Newton County MHMP Planning Team ................................................................................... 12
Table 2: Critical and Essential Facilities .................................................................................................. 16
Table 3: Hazards Selected........................................................................................................................ 20
Table 4: Determination of Weighted Value for Communities .............................................................. 22
Table 5: Newton County Fire Calls .......................................................................................................... 38
Table 6: Newton County USGS Gages ................................................................................................... 42
Table 7: Repetitive Loss Properties and Claims ..................................................................................... 43
Table 8: Insurance Premiums and Coverage ......................................................................................... 44
Table 9: Newton County NFIP Participation ........................................................................................... 48
Table 10: Newton County Building Inventory Using Best Available Data .......................................... 49
Table 11: Critical and Essential Facilities in the Flood Zones............................................................... 50
Table 12: Structures in the 1.0% AEP and Number of Flood Insurance Policies ................................ 50
Table 13: Floodplain Ordinance Dates for Each Community .............................................................. 50
Table 14: Summary of Parcels and Critical and Essential Facilities in the FEH Zone ......................... 60
Table 15: Enhanced Fujita Scale for Tornadoes .................................................................................... 62
Table 16: Summary of Hypothetical Tornado Damages ....................................................................... 64
Table 17: Critical and Essential facilities within Hypothetical Tornado ............................................... 64
Table 18: Dams in Newton County ......................................................................................................... 72
Table 19: Newton County Hazmat Spills ................................................................................................ 76
Table 20: Combined CPRI and Ranking for Each Hazard ..................................................................... 79
Table 21: Hazard Reference Table .......................................................................................................... 80

Newton County MHMP
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Table 22: Proposed Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................... 87
Table 23: MHMP Incorporation Process .................................................................................................. 95
LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit 1: Newton County Critical and Essential Facilities
Exhibit 2: Newton County Flood Map
Exhibit 3: Newton County Historical and Hypothetical Tornado Map
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Acronyms
Appendix 2: CRS Checklist
Appendix 3: Planning Committee Meeting Agendas and Summaries
Appendix 4: Public Participation and Involvement of Other Interested Parties
Appendix 5: Critical and Essential Facilities by Category
Appendix 6: Community Capability Assessment
Appendix 7: Disaster and Emergency Declarations
Appendix 8: NCEI Hazard Data
Appendix 9: CPRI (Calculated Priority Risk Index)
Appendix 10: USGS Stream Gage Locations and Major Waterways
Appendix 11: 2021 Mitigation Action Status
Appendix 12: Potential Funding Sources
Appendix 13: Implementation Checklist

September 2026
Page 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
defines the disaster life cycle as the process through which
emergency managers respond to disasters when they
occur; help people and institutions recover from them;
reduce the risk of future losses; and prepare for
emergencies and disasters. In Figure i each phase in the
Emergency Management Lifecycle; Mitigate, Prepare,
Respond, and Recover has a description of the phase as
well as a time frame within the disaster cycle. Although
each of the phases is visually tied to a specific time period
within the life cycle of the disaster, mitigation can take
place throughout much of the disaster life cycle. The
Newton County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP)
update focuses on the mitigation activities that may be
implemented throughout the disaster life cycle.

Figure i: Disaster Life Cycle

According to FEMA, mitigation is most effective when it is based on an inclusive, comprehensive,
long-term plan that is developed before a disaster occurs. The MHMP planning process identifies
hazards, the extent that they affect the municipality, and formulates mitigation practices to ultimately
reduce the social, physical, and economic impact of the hazards.
The overall goals of the Newton County MHMP, which align closely with the State of Indiana MHMP,
are:
•
•
•

Lessen the impacts of disasters and enhance community resilience
Minimize the loss of life and injuries caused by disasters
Promote mitigation activities both prior to and following a disaster

To achieve the stated goals the community strategy includes the following:
1.

Lessen the impacts of disasters and enhance community resilience by:
a. Supporting resilience opportunities within the community
b. Incorporating the MHMP into local ordinances, local planning efforts, and the
community comprehensive plans
c. Evaluating and strengthening collaboration among organizations
d. Making sure critical and essential facilities can withstand disasters
e. Supporting the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
f. Identifying opportunities to reduce repetitive loss incidents

2.

Minimize the loss of life and injuries caused by disasters by:
a. Improving warning systems for the residents
b. Developing public awareness and outreach programs
c. Improving shelter availability
d. Developing a program of affordable housing that is resilient to flooding
e. Improving education and training for emergency personnel and officials
f. Developing ways to provide education, awareness, and warning of disasters to all
members of the community

Newton County MHMP
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3.

Promote mitigation activities prior to and following a disaster by:
a. Ensuring better communication between federal, state, and local officials
b. Seizing opportunities to buy out properties, floodproof buildings, or improve building
codes
c. Conducting new studies or research opportunities to reduce impacts from disasters
and prepare for future events anticipating the impacts of our changing climate
d. Conducting outreach efforts to educate community members about the risks and
hazards in their area as well as encouraging the implementation of a variety of
mitigation actions

For NFIP communities to be eligible for future mitigation funds, they must either adopt their own
MHMP or participate in the development of a multi-jurisdictional MHMP. Further, it is required that
local jurisdictions review, revise, and resubmit the MHMP every five years. The following are
incorporated communities that have provided information, attended meetings, and participated in
the planning process, the planning process used to update the Newton County MHMP satisfies the
requirements of a multi-jurisdictional plan.
•
•
•

Newton County
Town of Goodland
Town of Morocco

•
•
•

Town of Brook
Town of Kentland
Town of Mount Ayr

During planning committee meetings, those in attendance revisited the latest edition of the Newton
County MHMP and identified new critical and essential facilities and local hazards; reviewed the
State’s mitigation goals and updated the local mitigation goals; reviewed the most recent local
hazard data, vulnerability assessment, and maps; evaluated the effectiveness of existing mitigation
measures and identified new mitigation projects; and reviewed materials for public participation.
Keeping in mind the ever-changing climate, the team also examined the needs of underserved
populations that may be more vulnerable to the impacts of the listed hazards. Meetings were
conducted with key groups such as town planners, health department specialists, representatives of
organizations serving the underserved populations and various emergency responders. Their
information has been incorporated into this MHMP update. This plan update will examine each of
the hazards with data from the past five years, where possible.
The review of hazards and risks is based on the methodology described in the Local Mitigation
Planning Policy Guide FP 206-21-0002, effective April 19, 2023. The plan identifies the hazards
assessed, the nature of each hazard including historic occurrences, vulnerabilities, and the
relationship to other hazards. Using a ranking tool known as the Calculated Risk Priority Index (CPRI),
the planning team scored each of the hazards. Table i lists the hazards in the plan and the ranking
of each. The CPRI scores reflect the hazards of most concern by the planning team members.

September 2026
Page 6

Table i: CPRI Ranking for All Hazards
2025
Rank

CPRI
Score

Hazardous Material Incident

3.40

1

Extreme Temperatures

3.15

2

Winter Storms and Ice

3.05

3

Fires and Wildfire

2.90

4

Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm

2.80

5

Tornado

2.75

6

Drought

2.70

7

Hazard

Flood

2.04

8

Dam and Levee Failure

1.63

9

Earthquake

1.45

10

Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion

1.45

11

The plan concludes with a discussion about mitigation actions. The MHMP lists a variety of mitigation
actions the planning team members would like to accomplish within the next five years to enhance
the resilience of Newton County. In addition, it celebrates the mitigation successes from the previous
MHMP plans and community actions which contribute to mitigating the various risks and hazards
identified.
Lastly, this MHMP is a living document which has a five-year life span. During the next five years,
Newton County and the incorporated communities that adopt this plan will work to complete the
mitigation actions as well as regularly noting items for the next plan update. The county EMA and
planning committee members will also use tools contained in the appendices, or similar documents,
to track progress, and note changes that may impact community resilience.

Newton County MHMP
Page 7

September 2026
Page 8

CHAPTER 1:
1.1

INTRODUCTION

DISASTER LIFE CYCLE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines the disaster life cycle as the process
through which emergency managers respond to disasters when they occur; help people and
institutions recover from them; reduce the risk of future losses; and prepare for emergencies and
disasters. The disaster life cycle, shown in Figure 1 includes four phases:
Mitigation – to prevent or to reduce the effects of
disasters (building codes and zoning, vulnerability
analyses, public education)
Preparedness – planning, organizing, training,
equipping, exercising, evaluation and improvement
activities to ensure effective coordination and the
enhancement of capabilities (preparedness plans,
emergency exercises/training, warning systems)
Response – the mobilization of the necessary
emergency services and first responders to the
disaster area (search and rescue; emergency relief)

Figure 1: Disaster Life Cycle

Recovery – to restore the affected area to its previous
state
(rebuilding
destroyed
property,
reemployment, and the repair of other critical and
essential facilities)

The Newton County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP) focuses on the mitigation phase of the
disaster life cycle. According to FEMA, mitigation is most effective when it is based on an inclusive,
comprehensive, long-term plan that is developed before a disaster occurs. Recent reviews of grant
programs have determined for every $1 spent on mitigation efforts, between $6 and $10 are saved
within the community on efforts following disasters. The MHMP planning process identifies hazards,
the extent that they affect the municipality, and formulates mitigation practices to ultimately reduce
the social, physical, and economic impact of the hazards.
The following chapters will address the planning process used to complete the updating of the
existing MHMP, basic community information to orient the reader to the county and the
incorporated communities, a discussion of nine natural and two man-made hazards detailing their
recent occurrences and risks posed to the county, a discussion of the mitigation strategies, outline
of the implementation plan and a discussion of how the plan will be maintained. Images and tables
in bold are linked within the document as well as being linked in the table of contents. By clicking
on these bolded features while holding the control key, the document will automatically move to
item identified in the bold text.

Newton County MHMP
Page 9

September 2026
Page 10

CHAPTER 2:

PLANNING PROCESS

REQUIREMENT 44 CFR 201.6 (d)(3):
A local jurisdiction must review and revise its plan to reflect changes in development, progress in
local mitigation efforts, and changes in priorities, and resubmit it for approval within five years in
order to continue to be eligible for mitigation project grant funding.
According to the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR §201.1(b)), the purpose of mitigation
planning is for State, local, and Indian tribal governments to identify the natural hazards that impact
them, to identify actions and activities to reduce any losses from those hazards, and to establish a
coordinated process to implement the plan, taking advantage of a wide range of resources.
A FEMA-approved MHMP is required to apply for and receive project grants under the Building
Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and
Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA). Additional detailed studies may need to be completed prior to
applying for these grants even though this plan meets the requirements of Disaster Mitigation Act
(DMA) 2000 and eligibility requirements of the above listed grant programs. Acronyms referenced
throughout this plan are contained in Appendix 1.
The NFIP requires participating communities to adopt either their own MHMP or participate in the
development of a multi-jurisdictional MHMP to be eligible for future mitigation funds. The Indiana
Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) and the United States Department of Homeland Security
(US DHS)/FEMA Region V offices administer the MHMP program in Indiana. Local jurisdictions are
required to review, revise, and resubmit the MHMP every five years. The MHMP updates must
demonstrate that progress has been made in the last five years to fulfill the commitments outlined
in the previously approved MHMP. The update may validate the information in the previously
approved MHMP or may be a major rewrite depending on community needs and planning
guidance. The updated MHMP is not intended to be an annex to the previously approved plan; it
stands on its own as a complete and current MHMP. The Newton County MHMP update is a multijurisdictional planning effort led by the Newton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
This plan was prepared in partnership with Newton County (referred to in this document as county)
and the towns of Brook, Goodland, Kentland, Morocco, and Mount Ayr (referred to in this document
as towns).
Representatives from these communities attended the committee meetings, providing valuable
information about their community, reviewing, and commenting on the draft MHMP, and assisting
with local adoption of the updated plan. As each of the jurisdictions had an equal opportunity for
participation and representation in the planning process, the process used to update the Newton
County MHMP satisfies the requirements of DMA 2000 in which multi-jurisdictional plans may be
accepted.
The Community Rating System (CRS) program is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and
encourages community floodplain activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. As a
result, flood insurance premiums are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from
community actions that meet the three goals of the CRS: (1) reduce flood losses; (2) facilitate
accurate insurance rating; and (3) promote education and awareness of
flood insurance. Savings on flood insurance premiums are proportional to
the points assigned to various activities. A minimum of 500 points is required
to be a participating community within the CRS program and receive a 5%
flood insurance premium discount. Class 10, or communities with 0-499
points, are non-participating communities and do not receive a discount on
Figure 2: NFIP/CRS
flood insurance. This MHMP could contribute as many as 292 points toward
Newton County MHMP
Page 11

participation in the CRS. Throughout this plan, activities that could count toward CRS points are
identified with the NFIP/CRS logo (Figure 2). Appendix 2 breaks down how this MHMP can
contribute toward participation in the CRS.

2.1

SCHEDULE

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(1):
The plan shall document the planning process used to prepare the plan, including how it was
prepared, who was involved in the process, and how the public was involved.
Preparation for the Newton County MHMP update began when IDHS notified the county of the
FEMA grant award and availability of grant funds. Newton County and IDHS signed a grant
agreement for MHMP funding on December 20, 2024, and Newton County hired Christopher B.
Burke Engineering, LLC (Burke) on September 18, 2025, to assist the county with the update
process. The MHMP update process began once the grant agreement was signed and it took 10
months to prepare the MHMP for submission to IDHS and FEMA for review. This does not include
the MHMP review period by IDHS and FEMA and the adoption period by Newton County and
incorporated communities.

2.2

PLANNING COMMITTEE AND INTERESTED PARTIES INVOLVEMENT

In October 2025, the EMA began to compile a list of planning committee members to guide the
MHMP update planning process. Committee members were contacted through their personal
contact info and were relayed information on the meeting time and location. These individuals were
specifically invited to serve on the committee because they were knowledgeable of local hazards;
had been involved in hazard mitigation activities; had the tools necessary to reduce the impact of
future hazard events; or served as a representative on the prior planning committee in 2021. The
surrounding counties of Benton, Iroquois (IL), Jasper, Kankakee (IL), and Lake were invited to attend
the team meetings and were given an opportunity to provide input and feedback to the plan
throughout the planning process and during draft review. No comments or corrections were
received from the neighboring EMA offices. Table 1 lists the individuals that actively participated on
the committee and the entity they represented.
Table 1: Newton County MHMP Planning Team
Name
David Atkinson
Mercedes Brunton
Rob Churchill
Jason Cornell
Sharon Domonkos
Trisha Drain
Julian Elson
Laura Floyd
Casey Hall
Dillon Hall
Kristin Hoskins
Tamra James
Nicole Kimbrell
James Large
Howard Marshall

September 2026
Page 12

Agency

Title

Newton County Council
Purdue University Extension
Commissioner's Office
Fire Association
Highway Department
NECS Inc.
Town Council
Soil and Water Conservation
District/Town of Goodland
South Newton Schools
Town of Goodland
Assessor's Office
Newton County Auditor’s Office
Town Council
Newton County 911
Town Council

Council Member
Extension Educator
Commissioner
Representative
Superintendent
Executive Director
Council Member

Community
Representing
Newton County
Newton County
Newton County
Morocco
Newton County
Business/Industry
Kentland

Educator/Resident

Goodland

Superintendent
Marshall
Assessor
Auditor
President
E911 Director
Council Member

Newton County
Goodland
Newton County
Newton County
Morocco
Newton County
Mount Ayr

Name

Agency

Title

Forest Nyberg
Jamie Reed
Bri Styck
Christine Vanderborg
Matthew VanDrunen
Chris Wilson

Soil and Water Conservation District
Purdue Univeristy Extension
Soil and Water Conservation District
Building Department
Newton County EMA
Sheriff's Office/Town of Brook

Intern
Agriculture Educator
Director
Building Commissioner
Director
Chief Deputy/Resident

Community
Representing
Newton County
Morocco
Newton County
Newton County
Newton County
Brook

Members of the committee participated in the MHMP update through various team meetings as well
as outside group meetings where mitigation opportunities are supported or addressed. During the
MHMP team meetings, the committee:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Reviewed the State’s mitigation goals and updated the local mitigation goals
Reviewed the most recent local hazard data, vulnerability assessment, and maps
Evaluated and ranked the hazards based on probability of occurrence, impact, warning time,
and duration of the hazard event
Revisited existing (in the prior MHMP) critical and essential facilities and identified new
critical and essential facilities and local hazards
Evaluated the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures and identified new mitigation
projects
Reviewed materials for public participation

A sign-in sheet recorded those present at each meeting to document participation. Meeting
agendas and summaries are included in Appendix 3. Members of the committee also reviewed a
draft MHMP, provided comments and suggestions, and assisted with adoption of the Newton
County MHMP update.

2.3

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

The Newton County EMA Director kept the public up to date about the planning process by regularly
reporting on the planning effort at public commissioner’s meetings, Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC) meetings, and other events. A draft of the Newton County MHMP update was
posted to the Official Website of Newton County Indiana for public review and comment. A media
release indicating the posting of the draft MHMP and the ability to comment was submitted for
release. No comments or corrections were received from the public or the committee (This
highlight will be updated after the period of review). The media release, web page posting, and
any comments received are included in Appendix 4.
As previously mentioned, neighboring EMAs were invited to review the draft plan during the period
of public review and comment. No comments or corrections were received from the neighboring
EMAs (This highlight will be updated after the period of review).

2.4

PLANS, STUDIES, REPORTS, AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Requirement 201.6(c)(1)
The plan shall include a review and incorporation, if appropriate, of existing plans, studies, reports,
and technical information.
During the development of the Newton County MHMP update, several relevant sources of
information were reviewed either as a document or through discussions with local personnel. This
exercise was completed to gather updated information from the time of the development of the
Newton County MHMP
Page 13

previous Newton County MHMP, and to assist the committee in developing potential mitigation
measures to reduce the social, physical, and economic losses associated with hazards affecting
Newton County.
This planning effort included the review of community specific plans and studies for incorporation
in this plan update. For the purposes of this planning effort, the following materials (among others)
were discussed and utilized:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

MHMP Newton County (2021)
Town of Kentland Strategic Plan (2023)
Newton County Geographical Information System (GIS) data
Town of Goodland Zoning Ordinance (2022)
Floodplain Management Ordinances for the towns of Brook (2025), Goodland (2024), and
Kentland (2025)
Newton County Ordinances as of December 2025
Ordinances for the towns of Brook, Goodland, Kentland, Morocco, and Mount Ayr
Kankakee River Flood & Sediment Management Work Plan (2019)
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) and Flood Insurance Studies – FEMA and NFIP

The above plans and ordinances target many of the same issues and plans included in this report.
The MHMP has and continues to be used to inform decision makers during preparation of various
documents in the county. This MHMP planning effort sought to use existing plans to inform the
planning team about mitigation actions that would support community development, as outlined in
the comprehensive plan, and to support or enhance existing ordinances. The Newton County
Building Department has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of the county. All communities
within Newton County have building departments.
In addition to local agencies and offices such as those listed above, several regional and state
agencies were contacted and subsequently provided data for this planning effort. Those contacts,
and the information they provided, include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water – Flood insurance policies,
claims, and payment information; NFIP Participation; DNR listed Dams and associated
records; Dam Breach Inundation App; and IN Floodplain Information Portal
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Other Divisions – Mining Records
Indiana Geologic Survey and Water – Earthquakes in Indiana; Liquefaction Potential Map:
Karst Regions and Maps of Karst locations
Indiana Geographic Information Office - IndianaMap
Indiana Department of Homeland Security – Current Fire and Building Code Information
FEMA, Region V – Repetitive loss structure counts and insurance payments and FIRM Maps
and Flood Studies
Midwest Regional Climate Center – Climate Trends; County specific climate reports
National Weather Service –– Confirmation of Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI) tool; local
storm reports; weather event photos
The CRS program credits NFIP communities with a maximum of 170 points: up
to 15 points for organizing a planning committee composed of staff from various
departments; up to 120 points for involving the public in the planning process;
and up to 35 points for coordinating among other agencies and departments to
resolve common problems relating to flooding and other known natural hazards.

September 2026
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CHAPTER 3:

DATA GATHERING
Newton County was originally established in 1835 but was
merged with Jasper County from 1839-1859. After being
reestablished in 1859, Newton County became Indiana’s
youngest county. Newton County was named for Sergeant John
Newton, an American Revolutionary War solider, who became
popularized through a fictional early 19th century book where he
saves a group of American prisoners from execution. The county
is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area but has remained an
agricultural area due to its fertile land and influence from
businesses such as Fair Oaks Farms.
Newton County has roughly 13K acres of protected land making
it an ideal spot to spend time with the outdoors. Each of the
incorporated communities host a number of different events and
have numerous historical venues to explore. The town of
Kentland serves as the county seat. Other incorporated
communities include the towns of Brook, Goodland, Morocco,
and Mount Ayr.

Approximately 35% of the workforce living in Newton County
commute to work outside of the county with the majority
traveling to Lake County. An additional 700 people commute into Newton County for employment.
Disaster events such as flooding and winter weather can create several cascading impacts for the
commuting workforce. Some of these cascading impacts include increased travel times for citizens
and emergency vehicles, increased potential for hazardous materials incidents as roadway
conditions worsen, and potentially life-threatening scenarios as floods impact roadways.
Figure 3: Newton County Location

According to Stats Indiana, the population of Newton County is an aging population with the median
age being 42.8 years of age and 47.2% of the population being older than 45 years old. This is four
years older than the median age for the state of Indiana. Additionally, the population of Newton
County is slowly shrinking at a rate of 0.2% every five years. As the population ages or shrinks the
ability to effectively respond to disasters may be impaired.
The land in Newton County is predominantly used for agriculture (75.0% crops and 3.4% pasture
and hay) with only 7.4% wooded with deciduous trees predominantly, along waterways and in the
protected lands. The total area of Newton County is 403.4 mi2 of which 1.7 mi2 is water. The county
is divided into ten townships, and the town of Kentland serves as the county seat. The location of the
county within the State of Indiana is identified in Figure 3. The top 10 employers within Newton
County according to Hoosiers by the Numbers are:
Top 10 Employers Within Newton County
1. Adkev Inc.

2. South Newton Middle School

3. North Newton High School

4. South Newton High School

5. George Ade Memorial Health Care Center

6. South Newton Elementary School

7. Rose Acre Farms

8. Newton County Sheriff’s Office

9. Parker Cylinder Division

10. Newton County Jail

Newton County MHMP
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3.1

CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL FACILITIES

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(2)(ii)(A):
The plan should describe vulnerability in terms of the types and numbers of existing and future
buildings, infrastructure, and critical facilities located in the identified hazard areas….
Critical facilities, critical infrastructure, and essential facilities are the assets, systems, and networks,
whether physical or virtual, so vital to local governments and the United States that their
incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, economic security, public
health or safety, or any combination thereof.
These structures are vital to the community’s ability
to provide essential services and protect life and
property; are critical to the community’s response
and recovery activities; or are the facilities, the loss
of which, would have a severe economic or
catastrophic impact. The operation of these
facilities becomes especially important following a
hazard event.
Utilizing information from the Newton County EMA
and GIS Department alongside FEMA data, Table
2 shows the 83 critical and essential facilities for the
MHMP update. Facilities that serve multiple facility
Figure 4: Newton County Courthouse
types have been counted in accordance with their
primary function. Additionally, there may be
insufficient data to accurately list all critical and essential facilities in the county. Figure 4 shows the
Newton County Courthouse, which is considered one of the critical and essential facilities.
Table 2: Critical and Essential Facilities
Critical and Essential Facilities
Facility Type

#

Facility Type

#

Facility Type

#

Airport

4

Fire Station

6

Nursing Home

2

Courthouse

1

Healthcare

2

Place Of Worship

12

Dams

2

Large Employer Facility

1

Public School

7

Daycare

2

Law Enforcement

5

Substation

10

Emergency Operations
Center (EOC)

1

Mobile Home Park

5

Tier II Facility

23

Information provided by the EMA, Newton County GIS, and the MHMP planning committee
members was utilized to identify the types and locations of critical and essential facilities throughout
Newton County. Draft maps were provided to the planning committee and EMA, along with the
planning committee for their review and all comments were incorporated into the maps and
associated databases.

September 2026
Page 16

Exhibit 1 illustrates the critical and essential facilities identified throughout the unincorporated
Newton County and the individual municipalities. Appendix 5 lists the critical and essential facilities
in Newton County by category. Non-critical structures include residential, industrial, commercial,
and other structures not meeting the definition of a critical facility and are not required for a
community to function. The development of this MHMP focused only on critical and essential
structures; non-critical structures are neither mapped nor listed.

3.2

COMMUNITY CAPACITY

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(3):
The plan shall document each participant’s existing authorities, policies, programs and resources
and its ability to expand on and improve these existing policies and programs.
The Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission is tasked with the establishment and
maintenance of fire and building safety codes throughout the state. The commission is also
responsible for reviewing variance requests, code modification proposals, and orders enforcing the
fire and building safety law. Only the commission is permitted to adopt codes for the state thus
prohibiting local communities from adopting codes other than those adopted by the state. All
jurisdictions of the state are required to follow the state adopted fire safety and building laws.
The State of Indiana is presently working with subject matter experts to update the current fire and
building safety codes to more recent International Code Council versions. Due to the hearing and
adoptions processes this is a multi-year effort. It is hoped that within the next five years updated fire
safety and building codes will be adopted to assist the community in becoming more resilient.
Local building officials serve as the local authority for building construction matters within their
jurisdiction. Within Newton County, the county and towns have their own building commissioners
who administer the building codes and zoning ordinances for the community. Appendix 6 lists the
local building official as well as other key positions in each jurisdiction.
The county and most communities continue to update their local floodplain ordinances when
necessary. The towns of Brook and Kentland have adopted Indiana’s Model Flood Damage
Prevention Ordinance. The town of Goodland has also updated their floodplain ordinance as of
2024. The local floodplain administrators may want to begin updating the ordinances within the
county and the towns of Morocco and Mount Ayr to restrict and promote safer development within
the floodplain.
Due to the small population of Mount Ayr, community capacity for new projects is limited and there
may be activities which are shared with the county. Additionally, some authorities may be shared
between one person or may not be directly addressed.
Newton County has ordinances relevant to subdivision and zoning. Many of the communities within
Newton County have some ordinances covering outdoor burning, stormwater, subdivisions, water
conservation, and zoning. As a very rural county, community leaders take advantage of grant funding
to help address non-budgeted activities. The planning team identified multiple community-wide
needs that will be addressed more in Chapter 5. As needs for capacity building are identified, the
communities and their leadership work together to ensure the challenges are addressed.

Newton County MHMP
Page 17

September 2026
Page 18

CHAPTER 4:

RISK ASSESSMENT

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(2):
The risk assessment shall provide the factual basis for activities proposed in the strategy to reduce
losses from identified hazards. Local risk assessment must provide sufficient information to enable
the jurisdiction to identify and prioritize appropriate mitigation actions to reduce losses from
identified hazards.
A risk assessment measures the potential loss from a hazard incident by assessing the vulnerability
of buildings, infrastructure, and people in a community. It identifies the characteristics and potential
consequences of hazards, how much of the community may be affected by a hazard, and the impact
on community assets. The risk assessment conducted for Newton County and the communities
within is based on the methodology described in the Local Mitigation Planning Handbook published
by FEMA in 2023 and is incorporated into the following sections:
Section 4.1: Hazard Identification lists the natural, technological, and political hazards selected by
the planning committee as having the greatest direct and indirect impact on the county as well as
the system used to rank and prioritize the hazards.
Section 4.2: Hazard Profile for each hazard, discusses 1) historic data relevant to the county where
applicable; 2) vulnerability in terms of number and types of structures, repetitive loss properties
(flood only), estimation of potential losses, and impact based on an analysis of development trends;
and 3) the relationship to other hazards identified by the planning committee.
Section 4.3: Hazard Summary provides an overview of the risk assessment process; a table
summarizing the relationship of the hazards; and a composite map to illustrate areas impacted by
the hazards.

4.1

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
HAZARD SELECTION

The MHMP planning committee reviewed the list of natural and technological hazards in the
2021 Newton County MHMP and discussed recent events and the potential for future hazard
events. The committee identified those hazards which affected Newton County and each
community selecting the hazards to study in detail as part of this planning effort. As shown in
Table 3, these hazards include dam and levee failure; drought; earthquake; extreme
temperatures; fires and wildfire; flooding; hailstorm, thunderstorm, and windstorm; hazardous
material incident; landslide, land subsidence, and fluvial erosion; winter storms and ice; and
tornado. Since the COVID pandemic, the Health Department continues to develop plans and
policies to better respond to and reduce the spread of both routine human disease-causing
organisms as well as zoonotic diseases and changes in that field.

Newton County MHMP
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Table 3: Hazards Selected
Type of Hazard

Natural

Technological

List of Hazards
Drought
Earthquake
Extreme Temperatures
Fires and Wildfire
Flood
Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm
Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion
Winter Storms and Ice
Tornado
Dam and Levee Failure
Hazardous Material Incident

MHMP
2021
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

2025
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

HAZARD RANKING
The planning committee ranked the selected hazards in terms of importance and potential for
disruption to the community using a modified version of the CPRI. The CPRI is a tool by which
individual hazards are evaluated and ranked according to an indexing system. The CPRI value
(as modified by Burke) can be obtained by assigning varying degrees of risk probability,
magnitude/severity, warning time, and the duration of the incident for each event, and then
calculating as index value based on a weighted scheme. For ease of communication, simple
graphical scales are used.
Probability:
Probability is defined as the likelihood of the hazard occurring over
a given period. The probability can be specified in one of the
following categories:
•
•
•
•

Unlikely – incident is possible, but not probable, within the next 10 years
Possible – incident is probable within the next five years
Likely - incident is probable within the next three years
Highly Likely – incident is probable within the next calendar year

Magnitude / Severity:
Magnitude/severity is defined by the extent of the injuries,
shutdown of critical and essential facilities, the extent of property
damage sustained, and the duration of the incident response. The
magnitude can be specified in one of the following categories:
•
•

Negligible – few injuries OR critical and essential facilities shutdown for 24 hours or less
OR less than 10% property damaged OR average response duration of less than six
hours
Limited – few injuries OR critical and essential facilities shut down for more than one
week OR more than 10% property damaged OR average response duration of less than
one day

September 2026
Page 20

•
•

Significant – multiple injuries OR critical and essential facilities shut down of at least two
weeks OR more than 25% property damaged OR average response duration of less than
one week
Critical – multiple deaths OR critical and essential facilities shut down of one month or
more OR more than 50% property damaged OR average response duration of less than
one month

Warning Time:
Warning time is defined as the length of time before the event occurs
and can be specified in one of the following categories:
•
•
•
•

More than 24 hours
12-24 hours
6-12 hours
Less than six hours

Duration:
Duration is defined as the length of time that the actual event occurs.
This does not include response or recovery efforts. The duration of the
event can be specified in one of the following categories:
•
•
•
•

Less than six hours
Less than one day
Less than one week
Greater than one week

Calculating the CPRI:
The following calculation illustrates how the index values are weighted
and how the CPRI value is calculated. CPRI = (Probability x 0.45) +
(Magnitude/Severity x 0.30) + (Warning Time x 0.15) + (Duration x 0.10).
For the purposes of this planning effort, the calculated risk is defined as:
•
•
•

Low if the CPRI value is between one and two
Elevated if the CPRI value is between two and three
Severe if the CPRI value is between three and four

The CPRI value provides a means to assess the impact of one hazard relative to other hazards
within the community. A CPRI value for each hazard was determined for each incorporated
community in Newton County, and then a weighted CPRI value was computed based on the
population size of each community. Table 4 presents each community, population, and the
weight applied to individual CPRI values to arrive at a combined value for the entire county.
Weight was calculated based on the average percentage of each community’s population in
relation to the total population of the county. Thus, the results reflect the relative population
influence of each community on the overall priority rank.

Newton County MHMP
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Table 4: Determination of Weighted Value for Communities
Community
Newton County (w/o incorporated communities)
Town of Brook
Town of Goodland
Town of Kentland
Town of Morocco
Town of Mount Ayr
Total

4.2

Population
(2024)
9,395
942
971
1,626
1,081
116
14,131

% of Total
Population
66.5%
6.7%
6.9%
11.5%
7.6%
0.8%
100.0%

Weighted
Value
0.665
0.067
0.069
0.115
0.076
0.821
1.000

HAZARD PROFILES

The hazards studied for this report are not equally threatening to all communities throughout
Newton County. While it would be difficult to predict the probability of an earthquake or tornado
affecting a specific community, it is much easier to predict where the most damage would occur in
a known hazard area such as a floodplain or near a facility utilizing an extremely hazardous substance
(EHS). The magnitude and severity of the same hazard may cause varying levels of damage in
different communities.
In the past six years Indiana has had four FEMA disaster declarations and one FEMA Emergency
Declaration. Newton County was included in two disaster declarations and the FEMA Emergency
Declaration. The full list of disaster declarations can be seen in Appendix 7 with the county name
emboldened where it was included in the declaration.
In addition, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) had disaster declarations for 29 Indiana
events. Of all these events in Indiana, Newton County was included in one. The full list of all disasters
and emergency declarations can be found in Appendix 7.
This section describes each of the hazards that were identified by the planning committee for
detailed study as a part of this MHMP update. The discussion is divided into the following
subsections:
•
•
•

•

Hazard Overview provides a general overview of the causes, effects, and characteristics
that the hazard represents
Historic Data presents the research gathered from local and national courses on the
hazard extent and lists historic occurrences and probability of future incident occurrence
Assessing Vulnerability describes, in general terms, the current exposure, or risk, to
the community regarding potential losses to critical and essential facilities and the
implications to future land use decisions and anticipated development trends. Impacts
on specific populations of communities are also addressed within this section
Relationship to Other Hazards explores the influence one hazard may have upon
another

September 2026
Page 22

DROUGHT
Overview
Drought, in general, means a moisture deficit extensive enough to have social, environmental,
or economic effects. Drought is not a rare and random climate incident; rather, it is a normal,
naturally recurring feature of climate. Drought may occur in all climactic zones, but its
characteristics vary significantly from one region to another. Drought is a temporary aberration
and is different from aridity, which is restricted to low rainfall regions.
There are four academic approaches to examining droughts; these are meteorological,
hydrological, agricultural, and socio-economic. Meteorological drought is based on the degree,
or measure, of dryness compared to a normal, or average amount of dryness, and the duration
of the dry period. Hydrological drought is associated with the effects of periods of precipitation
(including snowfall) shortfalls on surface or subsurface water supply. Agricultural drought is
related to agricultural impacts; and focuses on precipitation shortages, differences between
actual and potential evapo-transpiration, soil water deficits, reduced ground water or reservoir
levels, and crop yields. Socioeconomic drought relates the lack of moisture to community
functions in the full range of societal functions, including power generation, the local economy,
and food source.
Figure 5 from the U.S. Drought Monitor, describes the rationale to classify the severity of
droughts.
Category

D0

D1

D2
D3
D4

Description

Possible Impacts
Going into drought:
• Short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or
pastures
Abnormally Dry
Coming out of drought:
• Some lingering water deficits
• Pastures or crops not fully recovered
• Some damage to crops, pastures
• Streams, reservoirs, or wells low
Moderate Drought
• Some water shortages developing or imminent
• Voluntary water-use restrictions requested
• Crops or pasture losses likely
Severe Drought
• Water shortages common
• Water restrictions imposed
• Major crop/pasture losses
Extreme Drought
• Widespread water shortages or restrictions
• Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses
Exceptional Drought
• Shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells
creating water emergencies
Figure 5: U.S. Drought Monitor Classification Descriptions

Location
As rain patterns change there are periodic times when the county is deemed “Abnormally Dry”
or D0. Most of these instances are resolved quickly as sufficient rain arrives and the soil
rehydrates. On occasion, the rain is insufficient to address the dryness and weather conditions
cause the soil to further dry out, stressing crops and reducing lake levels. Drought may occur in
all climactic zones, but its characteristics vary significantly from one region to another. Although
Newton County MHMP
Page 23

drought declarations may be made for portions of the county, the entire county is vulnerable to
the impacts of drought.
Extent and History
Drought is a temporary aberration and is different from aridity, which is restricted to low rainfall
regions. Figure 6, developed based on data gathered from the U.S. Drought Monitor, shows
the distribution of weeks in drought over the January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025,
period. Most hazards have been studied from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025, to
study the past five full years.

Newton County Drought Occurence
60
50

Weeks

40
30
20
10
0

2021

2022
None

2023
D0

D1

2024
D2

D3

2025

D4

Figure 6: Drought Occurrence in Newton County 2021-2025

Probability
The planning committee, utilizing the CPRI, determined the overall risk of drought throughout
Newton County is “Elevated.” The impact of drought was determined to be slightly more
significant for the county due to the potential agricultural impacts. Most of the committee agreed
that a drought would be “Likely” (to occur within three years), and the magnitude of drought is
anticipated to be “Limited” in all areas besides the county. The town of Mount Ayr anticipated
the probability of a drought occurring was “Possible” (to occur within five years), which may be
due to the town’s smaller population. Further it is anticipated that with the enhanced weather
forecasting abilities, the warning time for a drought is greater than 24 hours and the duration
will be greater than one week. A CPRI summary for drought is shown in Appendix 8.
According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, scientists have difficulty predicting
droughts more than one month in advance due to numerous variables such as precipitation,
temperature, soil moisture, topography, and air-sea interactions. Further anomalies may also
enter the equation and create more dramatic droughts or lessen the severity of droughts.

September 2026
Page 24

Future Conditions
Climate change has a significant role in the drought conditions. Figure 7 charts the annual
maximum temperatures and shows trends utilizing data from the National Centers for
Environmental Information (NCEI). The NCEI is an organization within the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for studying and archiving the data that
NOAA collects.

Figure 7: Annual Maximum Temperatures from 1895 - 2024

According to the 2022 NCEI State Climate Summary for Indiana the following observations have
been observed based upon climate change:
•
•

The average temperature has risen almost 2°F since the middle of the 19th century
Temperatures in the 21st century have been higher than any other historical period with
the exception of the early 1930s Dust Bowl era

This is also verified in the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment report from Purdue
University. “This assessment documents that significant changes in Indiana’s climate have been
underway for over a century, with the largest changes occurring in the past few decades.” The
authors wrote, “These projections generally suggest that the trends that are already occurring
will continue, and the rates of these changes will accelerate. They indicate that Indiana’s climate
will warm dramatically in the coming decades, particularly in summer. Both the number of hot
days and the hottest temperatures of the year are projected to increase markedly.”
The assessment also notes that seasonal shifts in precipitation may lead to seasonal short-term
droughts. In either scenario, changes in precipitation are not anticipated to relieve the area of a
probability of a drought occurring.
Prior to municipalities expanding, provisions and considerations should be given regarding the
potential additional demand for both water usage and fire response efforts. Following such
expansion or development plans, alternative water sources should be explored.
Additionally, committee members discussed their concerns regarding water intensive industries
such as data centers coming to the county and causing an agricultural or socioeconomic drought
within the county. The county should carefully consider any potential development of water
intensive industries within the county to avoid agricultural and socioeconomic droughts.

Newton County MHMP
Page 25

Vulnerability
This type of hazard will generally affect entire counties and even multi-county regions at one
time. Within Newton County, direct and indirect effects from a lengthy period of drought may
include:
Direct Effects
•

•

•
•
•

Urban, developed areas, and local wildlife
areas may experience revenue losses from
decreased tourism; landscaping companies,
golf courses revenue losses due to lack of
growth and plant death; restrictions on
industry cooling and processing demands;
reduced incomes for businesses dependent
on crop yields, and increased potential for
fires
Rural areas within the county may experience
Figure 8: Crop Failure Caused by
revenue losses from reductions in decreased
Drought
livestock and crop yields as well as increased
incidence of field fires (Error! Reference
source not found.)
Loss of tree canopy due to increased susceptibility to pests and diseases
Citizens served by drinking water wells or surface water supplies may be impacted
during low water periods and may require drilling of deeper wells or loss of water service
for a period
According to Purdue’s Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, climate change will
cause temperatures to rise, and rainfall patterns to shift, which will make managing
multiple water needs increasingly difficult. This could result in more drought conditions

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•
•

Loss of income of employees from businesses and industry affected; loss of revenue to
support services (food service and suppliers)
Loss of revenue from recreational or tourism sectors associated with reservoirs, streams,
and other open water venues
Lower yields from domestic gardens increase the demand for purchasing produce and
increase domestic water usage for landscaping
Increased demand for emergency responders and firefighting resources due to grass
fires and increased medical calls for people having respiratory issues because of
increased dust amounts
Drought conditions could make it more difficult for the underserved population as many
of them do not have air conditioning, which makes breathing more difficult and air
quality conditions can become compromised

Potential Impacts
It is difficult to estimate the potential losses associated with a drought for Newton County
because of the nature and complexity of this hazard and the limited data on past occurrences.
However, for the purpose of this MHMP update, a scenario was used to estimate the potential
crop loss and associated revenue lost due to a drought similar to that experienced during the
drought of record from 1988. In 2023, Newton County produced approximately 22.3M bushels
of corn and 4.4M bushels of soybeans, as reported by the United States Department of

September 2026
Page 26

Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service. Using national averages of $4.26 per
bushel of corn and $11.11 per bushel of soybeans, the estimated total crop receipts for 2023
would be $144.4M. Using the range of crop yield decreases reported in 1988 and 1989, just
after the 1988 drought period (50%-86%) and assuming a typical year, economic losses could
range between $72.2M-$124.2M depending on the crop produced and the market demand.
Relationship to Other Hazards
Discussions with the planning committee were held regarding the similar effects of prolonged
periods of extreme heat and the similar impacts that may be experienced during these times.
Planning and mitigation efforts for one hazard may benefit the other. It is anticipated that rural
areas of the county may be more susceptible to brush and rangeland or woodland fires during
a drought, while urban areas may experience these impacts in areas where several abandoned
buildings or overgrown lots exist, and this may lead to increased losses associated with a fire.

Newton County MHMP
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EARTHQUAKE
Overview
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the earth caused by the breaking and shifting of
rock beneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes strike suddenly, without warning. Ground shaking
from earthquakes can collapse buildings and bridges; disrupt gas, electric, and phone service;
and sometimes trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and huge destructive ocean
waves (tsunamis). Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated landfill and other
unstable soil, and trailers and homes not tied to their foundations are at risk because they can
move off their mountings during an earthquake. When an earthquake occurs in a populated
area, it may cause deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.
Location
There are 45 states and territories in
the United States at moderate to very
high risk from an earthquake, and
they are located in every region of
the country (Figure 9). California
experiences the most frequent
damaging earthquakes; however,
Alaska experiences the greatest
number of large earthquakes – most
located in uninhabited areas. The
largest earthquakes felt in the United
States were along the New Madrid
Fault in Missouri, where a threemonth long series of quakes from
Figure 9: Earthquake Risk Areas in the U.S.
1811 to 1812 occurred over the
entire Eastern United States, with Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio,
Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi experiencing the strongest ground shaking. Several smaller
historic faults are located throughout the state of Indiana.
Extent and History
The nearest known areas of concern for Newton County are the Wabash Seismic Zone
(stretching from southeast Indiana to western Indiana), and the New Madrid Fault Zone (located
southwest of Indiana and occasionally affecting Southwest portions of the state).
According to Indiana Geological Survey, two earthquakes have occurred near Newton County
between January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025. In 2023 an earthquake occurred in Linden, IN
with a magnitude of 2.5. The second earthquake occurred in 2025 in Dwight, IL with a magnitude
of 2.6. Local sources did not describe any damages caused by these earthquakes.
Additionally, some soils in Indiana are highly susceptible to liquification during earthquake
conditions. Liquification occurs when water saturated soils temporarily lose their strength and
act like a fluid. This process can trigger landslides, cause buildings to sink into the ground, and
can destroy roads and bridges. The northern portion of Newton County has a high liquefaction
potential according to IndianaMap (Figure 10).

September 2026
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Probability
Based on historical earthquake data, local knowledge of
previous earthquakes, and that Newton County has not
been directly impacted by an earthquake, the committee
determined that the probability of an earthquake
occurring in Newton County or any of the communities is
“Unlikely.” Should an earthquake occur, the impacts
associated with this hazard are anticipated to be
“Negligible” in all areas of the county. As with all
earthquakes, it was determined that the residents of
Newton County would have little to no warning time (less
than six hours) and that the duration of the event would be
expected to be less than six hours. A CPRI summary for
earthquake is shown in Appendix 8.
Future Conditions
While the occurrence of an earthquake in or near to
Newton County may not be the highest priority hazard
studied for the development of the plan, it is possible that
residents, business owners, and visitors may be affected
should an earthquake occur anywhere within the state. For
that reason, Newton County should continue to provide
education and outreach regarding earthquakes and
earthquake insurance along with education and outreach
for other hazards. As the county and the communities
within grow and develop, the proper considerations for
the potential of an earthquake to occur may help to
mitigate social, physical, or economic losses in the future.
It can be anticipated that while all structures in Newton
County will remain at risk of earthquake damage and
effects, new construction or redevelopment may reduce
the overall risks. As redevelopment or growth occurs, the
new construction may be significantly sturdier. Further, as
Figure 10: Newton County
blighted, or abandoned areas are addressed, those
Liquefaction Potential Areas
communities and the county are less susceptible to
economic and physical damage associated with earthquakes. Since the last planning effort, no
significant development has occurred within the county.
Vulnerability
Earthquakes generally affect broad areas and potentially many counties at one time. Within
Newton County, direct and indirect effects from an earthquake may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•

Urban areas may experience more damage due to the number of structures, the multistory nature of the structures, and critical and essential facilities (fire houses, cell phone
towers, health care facilities) located in these areas.
Rural areas may experience losses associated with agricultural structures such as barns
and silos

Newton County MHMP
Page 29

•
•

Bridges, buried utilities (gas lines, water lines, pipelines), and other infrastructure may
be affected throughout the county and municipalities
The homeless or underserved population will need to be checked on, especially if they
seek shelter under bridges or structures that are not stable

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•

Newton County may be called upon to provide emergency response personnel to assist
in the areas with more damage
Provide shelter for residents of areas with more damage
Delays in delivery of goods or services originating from areas more affected by the
earthquake or originating at locations beyond the damaged areas, but that would have
to be re-routed to avoid damaged areas

Potential Impacts
To determine the losses associated with an earthquake, the Hazards US Multi-Hazard (HAZUSMH) software was utilized in the Newton County MHMP update. HAZUS-MH is a nationally
standardized risk modeling methodology which identifies areas with an elevated risk for natural
hazards and estimates physical, economic, and social impacts of earthquakes, hurricanes,
floods, and tsunamis. For this plan, an arbitrary earthquake scenario placed a magnitude 5.0
within the county.
Per the HAZUS-MH scenario noted above the following impacts are anticipated:
•

Total economic losses to be near $360M with moderate damage to 924 buildings, which
is more than 12% of the county’s total building stock. Additionally, 40 buildings are
anticipated to be damaged beyond repair.

•

There are 19 critical and essential facilities (zero hospitals, seven schools, one EOC, five
police stations, and six fire stations) with three facilities having at least 50% or more
damage and 12 facilities with functionality of greater than 50% on day one.

•

The highway would have at least two bridges with moderate damage and zero road
segments and zero bridges with reduced functionality on day one, and zero highway
segments and tunnels with moderate damage.

•

All other transportation segments (railways, buses, and ports) would be expected to
remain undamaged.

•

The utilities (one potable water, four wastewater, zero natural gas, zero oil systems, zero
electrical power, and zero communication) would have at least one potable water, two
wastewater, zero natural gas, zero oil systems, zero electrical systems, and zero
communications with at least moderate damage. There would be 111 water leaks, 56
wastewater leaks, zero natural gas leaks and 28 water breaks, 14 wastewater breaks, and
zero natural gas break.

•

There would be 67K tons of debris generated of which 42% would be brick/wood and
the remaining would be reinforced concrete/steel. It would take 2,680 truckloads (at 25
tons/truck) to clean up all debris caused by the earthquake.

•

The model estimates 38 households displaced and 18 people will seek temporary
shelter.

September 2026
Page 30

•

Residential occupancies would be anticipated to sustain the largest level of damage,
representing 27% of total damages.

•

No fires due to the earthquake were anticipated.

The HAZUS-MH model computes anticipated economic losses for the hypothetical earthquake
due to direct building losses and business interruption losses. Direct building losses are the
costs to repair or to replace the damage caused to the building and contents, while the
interruption losses are associated with the inability to operate a business due to the damage
sustained. As businesses are damaged or destroyed many will be forced to close until repairs
have been made. These closures often generate economic losses that can affect the business,
their employees, the local jurisdiction, and Indiana. The HAZUS-MH scenario anticipates $35.6M
in income losses due to interruptions from the earthquake.
The HAZUS-MH Earthquake Model allows local building data to be imported into the analysis.
However, these local data are imported as “general building stock,” meaning that the points are
assigned to a census tract rather than a specific XY coordinate. HAZUS performs the damage
analysis as a county wide analysis and reports losses by census tract. While the results of the
hypothetical scenario appear to be plausible, care should be taken when interpreting these
results.
Relationship to Other Hazards
Hazardous materials incidents may occur because of damage to material storage containers or
transportation vehicles involved in road crashes or train derailments. Further, dam failures, flash
floods, landslides, or levee breaks may occur following an earthquake or associated aftershocks
due to the shifting of the soil in these hazard areas. These types of related hazards may have
greater impacts on Newton County communities than the earthquake itself. It is not expected
that earthquakes will be caused by other hazards studied within this plan.

Newton County MHMP
Page 31

EXTREME TEMPERATURES
Overview
Extreme Heat
Extreme heat is defined as a temporary elevation of average daily temperatures that hover 10
degrees or more above the average high temperature for the region for the duration of several
weeks. According to the NWS, “The Heat Index” or the “Apparent Temperature” is an accurate
measure of how hot it really feels when the relative humidity is added to the actual air
temperature.” To find the heat index temperature, refer to the heat index chart in Figure 11. As
an example, if the air temperature is 96°F and the relative humidity is 65%, the heat index (how
hot it feels) is 121°F.

Figure 11: NWS Heat Index Chart

The NWS has three levels of Excessive Heat Notifications:
1.
2.
3.

A heat advisory means that temperatures of at least 100°F or heat index values of at
least 105°F are expected
An excessive heat watch means that heat index values are expected to reach or exceed
110°F and not fall below 75°F for at least a 48-hour period
An excessive heat warning means that heat index values are expected to reach or
exceed 110°F and not fall below 75°F for at least a 48-hour period, beginning in the
next 24 hours. A warning may also be issued for extended periods with afternoon heat
index values of 105°F-110°F

It is important to also note that these heat index values were devised for shady, light wind
conditions. Exposure to full sunshine may increase heat index values by up to 15°F. Further, high
winds, particularly with very hot, dry air, can also be extremely hazardous.
As Figure 12 indicates, there are four cautionary categories associated with varying heat index
temperatures. Each category provides a heat index range along with effects on the human body.
People with underlying health issues, the very old or very young, may be impacted at lower
temperatures since their systems are less likely to be able to compensate for the heat and
humidity.

September 2026
Page 32

Additionally, as later discussed in Section 4.2.9 (Winter Storms and Ice), over time the minimum
temperature in the county is increasing. This increase will exacerbate any heat as it lessens the
cooling capacity of the nighttime. This may put more stress on people at night as they will not
be able to cool off as much.

Figure 12: Extreme Heat Effects by Heat Index

Extreme Cold
Extreme cold is defined as a temporary, yet sustained, period of extremely low temperatures.
The jet stream winds are strongest during the winter months when continental temperature
extremes are greatest. When the jet stream pulls arctic cold air masses over portions of the
United States, temperatures can drop below 0° F for one week or more. Sustained extreme cold
poses a physical danger to all individuals in a community and can affect infrastructure function
as well.

Wind Speed (MHP)

Temperature (F)
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10 -15 -20 -25
5
25
19
13
7
1
-5
-11 -16 -22 -28 -34 -40
10
21
15
9
3
-4
-10 -16 -22 -28 -35 -41 -47
15
19
13
6
0
-7
-13 -19 -26 -32 -39 -45 -51
20
17
11
4
-2
-9
-15 -22 -29 -35 -42 -48 -55
25
16
9
3
-4
-11 -17 -24 -31 -37 -44 -51 -58
30
15
8
1
-5
-12 -19 -26 -33 -39 -46 -53 -60
35
14
7
0
-7
-14 -21 -27 -34 -41 -48 -55 -62
40
13
6
-1
-8
-15 -22 -29 -36 -43 -50 -57 -64
45
12
5
-2
-9
-16 -23 -30 -37 -44 -51 -58 -65
50
12
4
-3
-10 -17 -24 -31 -38 -45 -52 -60 -67
55
11
4
-3
-11 -18 -25 -32 -39 -46 -54 -61 -68
60
10
3
-4
-11 -19 -26 -33 -40 -48 -55 -62 -69
Frostbite Occurs in 120 minutes or less
Frostbite occurs in 30 minutes or less
Frostbite occurs in 10 minutes or less
Frostbite occurs in 5 minutes or less
Figure 13: Wind Chill Guide

In addition to strictly cold temperatures, the wind chill temperature (WCT) must also be
considered when planning for extreme temperatures. The WCT, according to the NWS, is how
cold people and animals feel when outside and it is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed
skin. Figure 13 identifies the Wind Chill Guide and how the same ambient temperature may feel
vastly different in varying wind speeds.

Newton County MHMP
Page 33

Extent and History
The effects of extreme temperatures extend across large regions, typically affecting several
counties, or states, during a single event. The NCEI indicates three excess heat events and three
extreme cold/wind chill events from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025. The NCEI provides
storm even information for all states, territories, and counties covering roughly 50 event types.
A list of the events that have occurred within Newton County during this timeframe and their
reported location, property damages, crop damages, injuries, and deaths are included in
Appendix 9.
On July 26, 2023, heat index values within the county hit 110°F and later that same year, on
August 23, 2023, the heat index value hit 120°F. On June 21, 2025, the heat index value hit
110°F. Additionally, the NWS reported wind chills as low as -30°F in Newton County on January
26, 2022. Two years later January 15, 2024, an extremely cold event ushered in wind chills of up
to -40°F. No damage or losses associated with the prolonged cold temperatures or heat events
were reported by the NCEI.
Probability
It is difficult to predict the probability that an extreme temperature event will affect Newton
County residents within any given year. However, based on historic knowledge and information
provided by the community representatives, an extreme temperature event is anticipated to be
“Highly Likely” (likely within the year) to occur within the county and if an event did occur, it is
anticipated to result in “Significant” magnitude. Appendix 8 identifies the CPRI for extreme
temperatures-both heat and cold events for all communities in Newton County.
Assessing Vulnerability
As noted above, this type of hazard will
generally affect entire counties and even
multi-county regions at one time; however,
certain portions of the population may be
more vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
For example, outdoor laborers, very young
and very old populations, low-income
populations, and those in poor physical
condition are at an increased risk of being
impacted during these conditions.
By assessing the demographics of Newton
County, a better understanding of the relative
risk that extreme temperatures may pose to
certain populations can be gained.
•
•
•

Figure 14: Extreme Cold

21% of the county’s population is over 65 years of age
5.8% of the population is below the age of five
10.2% of the population is living below the poverty rate

People within these demographic categories are more susceptible to social or health related
impacts associated with extreme heat (Figure 14). Families below the poverty line are less likely
to have functioning air conditioning in their homes. Because of high energy costs those who do
have air conditioning may be less likely to use the units in a way to benefit their health and well-

September 2026
Page 34

being. The same factors are key when
looking at heating sources in cold
temperatures (Figure 15). Elderly people
and those living below the poverty line are
more likely to rely on alternative heating
sources because of the cost of energy.
These alternative heating sources are
frequently the cause of carbon monoxide
poisoning and house fires.
Within Newton County, direct and indirect
effects from a prolonged period of extreme
temperature may include:

Figure 15: Extreme Heat

Direct Effects:
•

Direct effects are primarily associated with health risks to the elderly, infants, people with
chronic medical disorders, lower income families, outdoor workers, and athletes. Health
risks can range from heat exhaustion or mild hypothermia to death due to heat stroke,
amputations due to frost bite or death due to severe hypothermia

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•

Increased need for cooling or warming shelters
Increased medical emergency response efforts
Increased energy demands for heating or cooling

Estimating Potential Losses
It is difficult to estimate the potential losses due to extreme temperatures as direct damage is
not typically associated with buildings but instead with populations and people. Indirect
damage such as water damage due to frozen pipes are not well documented as many property
owners will not report such breaks to their insurance unless the damage is significant. Therefore,
accurate estimates are not possible to calculate or model.
Indirect effects:
•
•
•
•

Increased expenses for facilities such as healthcare or emergency services due to the
increased number of calls and people seeking assistance
Manufacturing facilities where temperatures are normally elevated may need to alter
work hours or experience loss of revenue if forced to limit production during the heat of
the day.
Energy suppliers may experience demand peaks during the hottest and coldest portions
of the day.
Extreme cold indirect effects include pipes freezing resulting in loss of access to water
for industrial processes as well as personal hygiene, sanitation and hydration of livestock
and people. These effects may disproportionately impact vulnerable populations
(elderly people and children) within Newton County

Newton County MHMP
Page 35

Future Considerations
As more citizens are experiencing economic difficulties, local power suppliers along with
charitable organizations have implemented programs to provide cooling and heating
mechanisms to residents in need. Often, these programs are donation driven and the need for
such assistance must be demonstrated. As susceptible populations increase, or as local
economies are stressed, such programs may become more necessary to protect the county’s atrisk populations. Additionally, the increase in the number of unsheltered homeless in the area
calls for innovative approaches to addressing heating and cooling needs after traditional
business hours when this population is particularly susceptible.
The Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment identifies several temperature related
considerations of which communities should be aware and begin planning to avoid further
impacts. For example, rising temperatures will increase the number of extreme heat days,
thereby increasing the potential for heat related illnesses, potential hospitalizations, and
medication costs to vulnerable populations. In addition, added days of extreme heat will impact
agriculture, manufacturing, and potentially, water sources. Increasing greenspaces within the
cities and towns not only provide benefits of stormwater control, carbon sequestration, and air
pollution filtration, but also are great for reducing the energy from the sun reaching the ground
surface, thus cooling the area. Future community planning should include the incorporation of
heat tolerant green infrastructure to lessen the impacts of extreme heat upon the community.
New construction associated with development of residential areas often brings upgraded and
more efficient utilities such as central heating and air units further reducing vulnerabilities to the
aging populations in those municipalities mentioned above. Conversely, new developments
associated with industrial or large commercial structures in the inner-urban centers often result
in increased heat over time, which may cause additional stress to labor-related populations.
Since the last planning effort, there has not been significant residential or commercial
development within the county.
Relationship to Other Hazards
While extreme temperatures may be extremely burdensome on the power supplies in Newton
County, the committee concluded that this type of hazard is not expected to cause any of the
other hazards studied. It is anticipated that due to prolonged extreme temperatures, primarily
long periods of elevated temperatures, citizens may become increasingly agitated and irritable,
and this may lead to a disturbance requiring emergency responder intervention.

September 2026
Page 36

FIRES AND WILDFIRE
Overview
A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, or a bushfire, is an uncontrolled fire in
wildland areas and is often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness
and arson. Small wildfires may be contained to areas less than one acre, whereas larger wildfires
can extend to areas that cover several hundred or even thousand acres. Weather conditions can
determine the nature and severity of a wildfire event. Very low moisture and windy conditions
can help to exacerbate combustion in forested or brush areas and turn a small brush fire into a
major regional fire event in a very short period. Wildfires can be very devastating for residents
and property owners.
A structural fire is an incident where a fire starts within a structure and is largely contained to that
structure. Causes of structure fires can be related to electrical shorts, carelessness with ignition
sources or alternative heating sources, poor storage of flammable materials, as well as arson.
These types of fires can be deadly if no warning or prevention measures are present. The most
dangerous aspect of structural fires is the production of toxic gases and fumes that can quickly
accumulate in enclosed areas of structures and asphyxiate those who might be in the structure.
Problems associated with structural fires are compounded when high-rise buildings catch fire
because high-rise fires hinder the ability of rescue workers to fight the fire, reach impacted
building occupants, and evacuate impacted occupants. These operations can be complicated
as the height of the structure increases and the occupancy changes within the structure. Rescue
efforts are more complicated when people with disabilities are involved with structure fires.
Lastly, structural collapse is another concern associated with high-rise fires especially when
people are trapped and severely injured. However, it is important to note that the concern
associated with structural collapse, is not limited to high-rise buildings; the collapse of smaller
residential buildings can also lead to severe injury and death.
Combating a structure fire and or wildfire
is extremely dangerous. If weather
conditions change suddenly, the fire may
change course or increase in strength
potentially
overtaking
neighboring
structures and firefighters, causing severe
injury or death. Fires can travel at speeds
greater than 45 mph. Members of the
homeless community, hunters or campers
may also be in the area of the fires with no
means to escape. Fire response
capabilities are limited by the everdwindling
number
of
volunteer
firefighters able to respond, especially
during “normal working hours.” This
further increases the risks for first
responders and community members alike.

Figure 16: Newton County Field Fire

Extent and History
According to the NCEI there have been no reported wildfire events for the period of January 1,
2021, to December 31, 2025. Committee members did not provide additional information or
example of locally significant wildfire events.
Newton County MHMP
Page 37

An example of a field fire from Newton County is provided in Figure 16. The field fire from 2024
occurred near Mount Ayr and involved multiple fire departments. Social media reported local
residents were initially asked to prepare to evacuate. However, responding fire departments
were able to contain the fire and extinguish it quickly. Additionally, structure fires can cause
wildfires and brush fires most commonly through a process called spotting. This occurs when
burning particles, embers, or firebrands, are carried by the wind to start new fires elsewhere.
Although Indiana has a very low to relatively low risk of wildfires according to the FEMA National
Risk Index, damage to structures, contents, crops, forests, and vehicles is significant for each
municipality on an annual basis. Additionally, wildfires can cause long-term issues such as
environmental damage and chronic illnesses. These effects, according to the United States
Geological Service (USGS), cause the annual cost of wildfires in the US to be $425B.
The NCEI does not report structure fires; therefore, local sources were utilized to provide
information regarding residential and business fires. Residential fires have been the most
common fire hazard affecting Newton County in the last several years. Information provided in
Table 5 highlights the number of fire calls to which local fire departments responded during the
time period January 2021 through December 2025. The number of fire calls can provide insight
into ongoing trends within the county and should be examined periodically to prepare for the
future.
Table 5: Newton County Fire Calls
Department

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Brook Iroquois Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

46

49

69

69

64

Goodland Grant Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

57

54

51

85

51

Kentland Jefferson Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

54

72

79

79

75

Lake Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

134

147

137

160

145

Lincoln Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

108

134

141

129

124

Morocco Beaver Twp. Vol. Fire Dept.

80

78

106

96

115

Total

479

534

583

618

574

Probability
The planning committee estimated the probability of a fire to occur within the county to be
“Likely” (likely to occur within the next three years) with the magnitude anticipated to be
“Significant.” Newton County disagreed due to its vast open fields. The county estimated that
fires are “Highly Likely” to occur, but they would result in “Limited” damages due to them
typically not affecting structures. The overall risk from fire was rated as “Elevated.” Appendix 8
identifies the CPRI rankings for fire in Newton County.
Assessing Vulnerability
Physical, economic, and social losses impact not only the property owner whose property was
damaged by the fire, but also the community. Typically, a structural fire is limited to one or two
structures, as the fire response focuses on extinguishment as well as containment thus
preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring structures as seen in Figure 17. This type of
action works to reduce the magnitude and severity. Nonetheless, the loss of or damage to
historic structures, town squares, etc. takes a toll on the community spirit as well as the financial
and physical loss.
Newton County has roughly 15K acres of managed lands, such as the Conrad Savana, the Lasalle
fire and Wildlife area, and the Willow Slough Fire and Wildfire Area. These areas are a common
September 2026
Page 38

gathering place and include campgrounds. Special consideration should be given to these
areas when an event occurs. Additionally, IDNR will occasionally utilize prescribed burns on
these areas to prevent much larger, uncontrolled fires from occurring.
A large portion of the county is rural,
which is also susceptible to brush and
crop fires, especially in times of drought.
Since agriculture is a large source of
income for the community, field fires,
especially during harvest season, or barn
fires after crops have been stored have
an immense impact.
Direct and indirect effects of fires and
wildfires within Newton County may
include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•
•

Loss of structures (residential,
Figure 17: Local Structure Fire in Newton County
high-rise buildings, as well as
agricultural)
Loss of vital equipment (industrial and agricultural)
Loss of forests
Loss of natural resources and wildlife

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•

Loss of revenue as businesses may be closed
Loss of revenue from reduced tourist activities in the county including Newton County’s
managed lands
Increased emergency response times based on safety of roads
Loss of income if dependent on crop production or timber harvest

Estimating Potential Losses
Given the nature and complexity of a potentially large hazard such as a wildfire, it is difficult to
quantify potential losses to property and infrastructure. As a result, all critical and essential
facilities, critical infrastructure, and non-critical facilities may be at some degree of risk.
Monetary damages associated with the direct effects of the fires are difficult to estimate, other
than utilizing historic information as provided. Indirect effects would cause increased efforts
associated with emergency response services as wildfires are difficult to contain and may
accelerate very quickly. Further, multi-level business or residential structures place increased
risks to those who work or live within those structures or nearby structures.
Future Considerations
As populations increase and community growth increases, the need to respond to fire will
remain an important municipal effort. As new construction or re-development occurs, especially
new or existing critical and essential facilities, it is important to ensure that these new structures
are equipped to deal with the potential risks associated with this hazard. Those may include
increased risk for wooden or flammable outer structures and potential lengthy power outages.
Newton County MHMP
Page 39

With the adverse impacts of extreme temperatures and drought upon the heavily forested areas,
consideration must be given to mitigating fire risks for structures that are built in the rural areas
to limit losses should a wildland fire take place.
In addition, increased populations require increased housing. Many urban communities
develop large multi-family residential structures, or apartment complexes, where structures are
not only in close proximity to each other but also house a large number of citizens. As
communities age, some structures may become abandoned, significantly increasing the risk of
fire due to potential vagrant populations and lack of maintenance. These areas should be
considered at risk and potentially demolished to avoid such risk and potential hazard.
Firefighting responses can be slowed due to the limited numbers of volunteers available at
various times of the day. Increasing numbers of people working outside of the community in
which they reside limits volunteer presence to outside of normal working hours. Recruitment
initiatives will need to be considered as the firefighting needs and staffing levels change.
Fires can also result in substantial indirect costs. Increased emergency response times, loss of
work or the inability to get to work, as well as business interruption, are possible indirect effects
of a fire and how it may affect those businesses related to cropland or natural resource areas.
Relationship to Other Hazards
Fires may certainly result in a hazardous materials incident if storage structures are within the
path of the fire. Material storage containers farther away from the burn path may become
damaged by high winds and embers resulting in a spill or release of materials. Fires may result
from lightning either alone or associated with a thunderstorm. Typical wind speeds during a
thunderstorm may also exacerbate the impacts from any ignitions from the lightning.

September 2026
Page 40

FLOOD
Overview
A flood, as defined by the NFIP, is a general and temporary condition of partial or complete
inundation or two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties from
overflow of inland or tidal waters, or unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters
from any sources, or a mudflow. Floods can be slow or fast rising but generally develop over a
period of days.
The traditional benchmark for riverine or coastal flooding is a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability
(AEP), formerly known as the 100-year flood. This is a benchmark used by FEMA to establish a
standard of flood protection in communities throughout the country. The 1% AEP is referred to
as the “regulatory” or “base” flood. Another term commonly used, the “100-year flood”, can be
misleading. It does not mean that only one flood of that size will occur every 100 years, but rather
there is a 1% chance of a flood of that intensity and elevation happening during any given event.
In other words, the regulatory flood elevation has a 1% chance of being equaled, or exceeded,
in any given event and it could occur more than once in a relatively brief time period. The area
impacted by the 1% AEP flood event is called the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
Log and ice jam flooding is a concern for the more populated areas. Although log jams can
occur at any time of the year, ice jams are predominantly an early or late winter occurrence when
air temperature rises after freezing temperatures which allow lake and river ice to form. Flooding
occurs when pieces of ice either jam up against stationary sheets of ice or against structures in
the river such as bridge pylons. The jammed ice can form a dam causing water levels behind it
to rise causing localized flooding and pushing large pieces of ice out of the stream. The greatest
challenge with ice jams is the lack of good science to predict when the jams will form and where
jam formation is likely. With the variations in temperatures in late winter and early spring ice jams
are becoming more common. Log jams, like ice jams, accumulate in low flow areas and near
bridges and similar structures located in the stream, causing water levels to rise. Bridges and
culverts are most frequently impacted since water flow is easily blocked at these locations
forcing water outside of the riverbanks into neighborhoods and businesses.
Extent and History
According to the NCEI there have been zero
flash floods and zero traditional riverine
floods for the period of January 1, 2021, to
December 31, 2025. Additionally, there was
one recorded heavy rain event which resulted
in 1.4 in. of rain within half an hour. Committee
members recalled multiple event of localized
floods within the past five years.
Any floods that did occur could have caused
property or crop damage and may have
resulted in injuries or deaths. Appendix 9
provides the NCEI information regarding
floods that have been reported in the county.

Figure 18: Indiana Flash Flood from 2023

Newton County MHMP
Page 41

Flash floods can be more dangerous than riverine floods
due to their rapid speed and onset. Figure 18 shows how
flash floods can surprise people and increase the
potential for injuries and deaths.
In Newton County there are two primary waterways:
•
•

Iroquois River
Kankakee River

The county is situated in two major drainage basins, the
northern portion is located within the Kankakee River
Basin, and the southern section is the Iroquois River Basin.
There are 36 major waterways in Newton County
including Beaver Creek, Curtis Creek, and Mosquito
Creek. Appendix 10 lists the major waterways and
stream gages within Newton County.
Stream gages are utilized to monitor surface water
elevations or discharges at key locations and time
periods. Some such gages are further equipped with
NWS’s National Water Prediction Service (NWPS)
capabilities. These gages have the potential to provide
valuable information regarding historical high and low
water stages, hydrographs representing current and
forecasted stages, and a map of the surrounding areas
likely to be flooded. Within Newton County, there are two
USGS gages (Iroquois River near Foresman and Kankakee
River at Shelby) shown in Figure 19. Table 6 provides
information regarding the county’s gages.

Figure 19: Newton County Stream
Gage Locations

Table 6: Newton County USGS Gages
Site
Number
05524500
05518000

Flood Levels

Crests

Site Name
Iroquois River
near Foresman
Kankakee River
at Shelby

Major

Moderate

Minor

Action

24 Ft.

22 Ft.

18 Ft.

15 Ft.

12.5 Ft.

11.5 Ft.

10.5 Ft.

9.5 Ft.

Recent

Historic

18.60 Ft.
2020
12.04 Ft.
2019

24.87 Ft.
2003
13.04 Ft.
2018

A watershed management plan (WMP) is a strategy for achieving water quality goals by
characterizing the watershed, setting goals and actions steps, and developing an
implementation plan to address documented problems. Ultimately, the purpose of the WMP is
to guide resource managers, watershed coordinators, policy makers, community organizations,
and other relevant stakeholders in restoring and protecting the waterbodies within a given
watershed. According to Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) WMP
website, there are two plans that cover Newton County:
•
•

Lower Kankakee WMP (31203)
Upper Iroquois River WMP 10-81

September 2026
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Appendix 6 lists which watershed management plans apply to which jurisdiction. Additionally,
there was a revised Kankakee/Iroquois watershed Total Maximum Daily Load Plan completed in
March 2020, which can assist local leaders in protecting local watersheds and mitigating water
quality challenges especially after drought, flooding, or a wildfire.
To help mitigate flooding problems within the Kankakee River Basin, Burke alongside the
Kankakee River Basin Commission completed a Flood Risk Management Plan (2019) for Newton
County. The plan set goals to address several major issues such as studying preventative
measures to mitigate increased sediment aggradation, increased flooding, and costly
maintenance of berms along the river. Recently, as of January 2026, the Kankakee River Basin
Commission alongside the Yellow River Basin Commission celebrated success in reducing flood
risks according to Indiana Economic Digest after completing bank stabilization for a five-mile
portion of the Kankakee River and regularly clearing log jams.
Flood insurance is key for flood recovery. Any property having received two insurance claim
payments for flood damages totaling at least $1,000, paid by the NFIP within any 10-year period
since 1978, is defined as a repetitive loss property. These properties are important to the NFIP
because they account for approximately one-third of the country’s flood insurance payments.
Table 7 identifies the number of repetitive properties and claims in Newton County per
community, as provided by FEMA through the OpenFEMA Dataset: NFIP Multiple Loss
Properties – v1. The database divides residential properties into four major categories: single
family, two to four units often referred to as duplexes or similar buildings, 5 or more units such
as an apartment structure, and mobile or manufactured homes. All of the properties that are
located in Newton County are classified as single family residences. Of the three properties in
Newton County, two are listed as single-family residences and one is listed as a single-family
residence with the exception of a mobile home or single residential unit within a multi-unit
building. The non-residential occupancies are commercial or mixed-use buildings where the
primary use is non-habitational. The non-residential occupancies are divided into four major
categories as well. Business (not otherwise specified), non-residential building, non-residential
unit within a muti-unit building, and non-residential mobile home. As there are no nonresidential repetitive loss properties in Newton County, the non-residential section has been
combined in the table. Condominiums insured by the association are a separate category of
properties. No association insured condominiums were listed in the dataset for the county.
Table 7: Repetitive Loss Properties and Claims
Number of Repetitive Loss Properties by Occupancy

# of
Repetitive
Loss
Properties

Single

Newton County

3

3

Town of Brook

0

0

0

0

0

Town of Goodland

0

0

0

0

Town of Kentland

0

0

0

Town of Morocco

0

0

0

Town of Mount Ayr

0

0

Total

3

3

Community

Nonresidential

Total
# of
Claims

0

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

9

Residential
2-4
5+
Units
Units
0
0

Mobile /
Mfg. Home
0

There have been several claims made for damages associated with flooding in Newton County
since 1978. Since 1978 Newton County, for example, there have been 37 claims of repetitive
loss properties resulting in $146.7K in payments. Table 8 further indicates the current
premiums, and coverage totals for individual communities.

Newton County MHMP
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Table 8: Insurance Premiums and Coverage
Community
Newton County
Town of Brook
Town of Goodland
Town of Kentland
Town of Morocco
Town of Mount Ayr
Total

Flood Insurance
Premiums

Flood Insurance
Coverage

$35,554
$6,797
$727
$5,789

$5.0M
$1.4M
$350.0K
$2.2M

$0

$0

$0

$0

$48.9K

$8.8M

Probability
As determined by the committee, the probability of riverine based flooding occurring
throughout Newton County is “Possible” to “Likely” to occur. The towns of Brook, Goodland, and
Kentland anticipate the probability would be “Likely” due to past flooding and their current NFIP
flood policies. The committee also determined that accurate warning time would be greater
than 24 hours due to forecasting methods and local knowledge of stream activities. Finally, the
duration of such an event is anticipated to last less than a week since the county is located closer
to the headwaters for each of the streams. A summary of the flooding CPRI is shown in Appendix
8.
Assessing Vulnerability
Flood events may affect substantial portions of Newton County at one time as river systems and
areas with limited drainage cover much of the county and the incorporated communities. With
an increase in high volume rain events, the low-lying roads within the county are vulnerable to
frequent inundation isolating or restricting access to some parts of the county. The average
annual rainfall today for Newton County is 39.88 in, however, according to the NCEI the annual
rainfall for the county is increasing by 0.46 in. per decade. Figure 20 identifies precipitation
trends from 1895 to 2024.

Figure 20: Annual Precipitation from 1895 - 2024

NFIP floodplain maps are used to understand flood risk and to determine requirements for flood
insurance and construction. The NFIP floodplain map titles for Newton County are provided in
Appendix 6. An overview of the current aggregated FEMA flood maps is provided in Figure

September 2026
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21. A similar map of the Newton County floodplains including critical and essential facilities is
available in Exhibit 2.

Newton County MHMP
Page 45

Figure 21: Newton County NFIP Flood Map 12/16/2014

September 2026
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Figure 22: Extreme Precipitation Events in Indiana

Purdue University’s Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment Report analyzed the increased
frequency of short duration high volume rain events, also known as extreme precipitation events,
in Indiana. According to the report, an extreme rain event occurs when more than 0.86 in. of rain
falls in one day. Since 1900, the number of days per year with extreme rain has been increasing
by 0.2 days per decade on average. The northwestern part of the state, including Newton
County, has experienced the largest increase at a rate of 0.4 days per decade. However, most
of that increase has occurred since 1990. In Figure 22 the trend line shows an increase in the
number of days where the rainfall exceeds 99th percentile. This ever-increasing trend is resulting
in more frequent flash flood and overland flood events.
Indiana has experienced an increase in the number of rain
events, especially extreme rain events, while the overall
duration of rain has decreased. This has led to Indiana
receiving more rain in shorter amounts of time.
The assessment also found that the annual average
precipitation rates for Indiana have increased by 4.2 in. in
the northeast portion of the state and 8.1 in. in the southeast
portion of the state since 1895 (Figure 23). In the report, the
authors wrote, “This assessment documents that significant
changes in Indiana’s climate have been underway for over a
century, with the largest changes occurring in the past few
decades.” These projections suggest that the trends that are
already occurring will continue, and the rates of these
changes will accelerate.
There are no flood inundation map libraries developed to
identify areas impacted by a variety of flood stages on any
of the rivers located in Newton County. The closest flood
inundation map is on the Iroquois River at Rensselaer. These

Figure 23: Annual Average
Precipitation Rise from
1895 to 2019

Newton County MHMP
Page 47

map libraries can be used to identify where floodwaters will be located when a gage meets a
specified height. Additionally, the mapper will give an estimate of damages at multiple gage
levels.
As outlined in Table 9, most communities within Newton County participate in the NFIP. Newton
County and the towns of Brook, Goodland, and Kentland have chosen to participate. The towns
of Morocco and Mount Ayr have chosen not to participate as there are no flood zones within the
incorporated areas of the towns.
Table 9: Newton County NFIP Participation
Initial FIRM
Identified

Current
Effective
Map Date

RegularEmergency
Program
Date

ID

Community Name

Initial FHBM
Identified

180179

Newton County

1/3/1973

9/1/1986

12/16/2014

9/1/1986

180180

Town of Brook

12/7/1973

9/1/1986

12/16/2014

9/1/1986

180181

Town of Goodland

5/31/1974

12/16/2014

(NSFHA)

8/19/1986

180182

Town of Kentland

5/24/1974

9/18/1985

12/16/2014

9/18/1985

Town of Morocco

Non-Participating Community

Town of Mount Ayr

Non-Participating Community

No communities within Newton County have chosen to participate in the CRS program. The
program entitles those residents in SFHA to receive a discount on flood insurance premiums
based on the community participation in floodplain management practices that exceed the
minimum requirements of NFIP. These practices and the community’s participation could
reduce future potential flood damage and encourage efficient floodplain management.
Within Newton County, direct and indirect effects of a flood event may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Decreased income and value of properties and contents due to damage by increased
water
Increased costs associated with additional response personnel, evacuations, and
sheltering needs
Increased potential impacts to infrastructure and buildings located within the SFHA
Increased cleanup costs for more frequent flash flood impacts
Decreased productivity of land due to Loss of topsoil and deposition of sand from flood
inundation of farm fields
Loss of topsoil and deposition of sand due to flood inundation of farm fields

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•
•

Increased response times for emergency personnel when roads are impassable
Increased costs associated with personnel carrying out evacuations in needed areas
Increased risk of explosions and other hazards associated with floating propane tanks
or other debris
Increased economic loss associated with missed work or school due to closures or
recovery activities
Decreased revenue due to cancellation of special events in impacted areas or water
related activities that become too dangerous due to high water

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•

Increased expenditures for debris removal costs and return local drainage to normal
function
Difficulty notifying the underserved populations which may not have access to radio,
television, or social media of evacuations

•

Estimating Potential Losses
Critical and non-critical facilities located in regulated floodplains, poorly drained areas, or lowlying areas are most at risk for damage associated with flooding. For this planning effort, a GIS
desktop analysis methodology was utilized to estimate flood damage.
For the GIS desktop analysis method, the effective digital FIRMs (DFIRMs) were overlaid upon a
modified building inventory developed with information provided by Newton County.
Structures located within each flood zone were tallied using GIS analysis techniques.
In the assessment, any structure listed as less than 400 ft2 in area or classified in the Assessor’s
database as a non-habitable structure was assumed to be an outbuilding. It was assumed that a
building was located on a parcel if the value listed in the “Assessed Value (Improvements)”
showed a value greater than zero dollars. Parcels that intersected any portion of the FEMA flood
zones were considered to be flood prone, and subsequently, further analyzed separately from
parcels without structures. Structure values were calculated using the 2021 FEMA HAZUS
Inventory Technical Manual and considered the value of the building and the contents of the
building where applicable. Occasionally, some counties have buildings that have not been
classified and are therefore unable to be to be included in this assessment. There were only
seven unclassified structures, all within the unincorporated areas of the county. This may mean
the actual damages from a flood would be greater than the estimates in this section.
To estimate anticipated damages associated with each flood zone in Newton County and the
communities, it was estimated that 25% of structures in the flood zones would be destroyed,
35% of structures would be 50% damaged, and 40% of structures would be 25% damaged.
Table 10 identifies the estimated losses associated with structures in the floodway, the 1% AEP
outside of the floodway, and the 0.2% AEP outside the 1% AEP areas by community within
Newton County. Tables 10 through 12 only show communities with structures within the flood
hazard layers, all others are omitted.
Table 10: Newton County Building Inventory Using Best Available Data
Floodway

Location

1% AEP Outside of
Floodway

0.2% AEP Outside of 1%
AEP boundaries

#

$

#

$

#

$

Newton County

349

$57.5M

317

$37.2M

5

$590.3K

Town of Brook

2

$183.3K

2

$183.3K

0

$0

Town of Goodland

1

$91.6K

0

$0

0

$0

Town of Kentland

27

$4.0M

3

$334.2K

0

$0

TOTAL

379

$61.7M

322

$38.8M

5

$590.3K

Utilizing the same GIS information and process, critical and essential facilities within each of the
flood hazard areas in Newton County were assessed and are included in Table 11. These
buildings are included in the overall number of structures and damage estimate information
provided in Table 10.

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Table 11: Critical and Essential Facilities in the Flood Zones
Community

Floodway
Lake Village
Airport
George Ade
Memorial Heath
Care Center

Newton County
Town of Brook

1% AEP Outside of
Floodway

0.2% AEP Outside of 1%
AEP and Floodway
River View Field Airport

Tap160397 (Substation)
and UNKNOWN 160396
(Substation)

Town of Goodland
Newton County
Baptist Church

Town of Kentland

Using the information in Table 10 regarding the number of structures within each of the flood
hazard areas, it is also important to note the number of flood insurance policies within each area
in Newton County. Table 12 provides the comparison between the number of structures in the
1.0% AEP and the number of flood insurance policies. It is also important to note that flood
insurance is voluntary unless the property owner carries a federally subsidized mortgage;
insurance coverage may be discontinued when the mortgage is completed.
Table 12: Structures in the 1.0% AEP and Number of Flood Insurance Policies
# Structures in
1% AEP (including Floodway)

# Policies

Newton County

666

37

Town of Brook

4

8

Town of Goodland

1

1

Town of Kentland

30

8

Total

701

54

Community

Future Considerations
As the municipalities within Newton County grow in population and redevelop, it can be
anticipated that the number of critical and non-critical facilities will also increase accordingly.
Newton County and the towns of Brook, Goodland, and Kentland have adopted floodplain
ordinances to help to keep structures out of areas of highest risk. The towns of Morocco and
Mount Ayr have not adopted floodplain ordinances as there are no flood zones within the towns.
Error! Reference source not found. is a compilation of the floodplain ordinance dates for each
community.
Table 13: Floodplain Ordinance Dates for Each Community
Community
Newton County

12/1/2015

Town of Brook

1/14/2025

Town of Goodland

10/21/2024

Town of Kentland

3/26/2025

Town of Morocco
Town of Mount Ayr

September 2026
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Floodplain Ordinance Adopted

Some of the listed communities discourage critical and essential facilities such as schools,
medical facilities, community centers, municipal buildings, and other critical infrastructure from
being located within the 1% AEP floodplain. New structures must also be protected to that level
along with flood-free access to reduce the risk of damage caused by flooding and to ensure that
these critical and essential facilities will be able to continue functioning during major flood
events. Flooding due to poor drainage, low-lying land, or flash flooding is also an important
consideration. It will be important for recognition of potential flood impacts to residents and
businesses in these areas to be coupled with proper planning for future development and
redevelopment of the flood zones. This would also include studying the Best Available Data
Layer and inundation areas mapped through the development of the Indiana Floodplain Portal
as well as studies of all the streams with one mi2 of drainage area or greater (Figure 24).

Figure 24: Sample of Flood Designated Areas Around the Town of Brook

The Indiana Silver Jackets team completed a survey of levee-like features also known as nonlevee embankments. The non-levee embankments are not certified or engineered structures.
They are earthen structures which act like levees, however, cannot protect the features behind
the structures adequately. In fact, non-levee embankments impose lateral constraints on flood
flows, reducing the floodplain storage capacity and increasing the flood velocity. These nonlevee embankments can cause stream erosion and downstream flooding. People frequently
build behind these structures with an expectation of safety, but these structures were never
intended to provide such protection and their ability to hold back floodwater is unpredictable
at best. Non-levee embankments can and often do restrict the movement of water to a certain
limitation at which time the structure may fail without warning. Additionally, some farms along
the rivers and streams rely on these embankments to keep flood waters out of their fields. IDNR
maps the Non-Levee Embankment sites which show the non-levee embankments for Newton
County. Figure 25 depicts a sample of the agricultural (purple), residential (light green), and
transportation (dark green) non-levee embankments in the southeastern corner of the county.
The midterm levee inventory embankments (red) are earthen non-levee embankments that have
been breifly studied by USACE to determine potential damages and are not certified levee
systems. Utilizing the consequence information determined by USACE, Newton County’s nine
studied non-levee systems along the Kankakee River have 21 buildings, 27 people, $5.7M in
property value, and 2.4K acres of farmland behind them. The county may consider programs to

Newton County MHMP
Page 51

relocate or protect residents that live behind these structures to reduce potential damages.
Additionally, the county may consider prohibiting the construction of infrastructure, especially
critical and essential infrastructrue, behind these levees. There are currently no threatened or
endangered species and no criitcal infrastructure behind them.
These embankmends were constructed when the Grand Kankakee Marsh was drained and are
regularly maintained using materials gathered from dredging the Kankakee River. The
embankments were created to prevent floodwaters from reaching fields and infrastructure and
to move water from the Kankakee River to fields for agricultural use. Agricultural embankments
such as these have allowed for more land to be zoned for agricultural uses which has created
more acres of farmland in Newton County. While the destruction of these embankments may
threaten farmland, careful consideration should be given when maintaining or creating
additional embankments as they could cause unintended consequences along the Kankakee
River.

Figure 25: Non-Levee Embankments Along the Kankakee River

It is important to inform owners and occupants of residences and businesses within the known
hazard areas, such as delineated or approximated flood zones and fluvial erosion hazard (FEH)
areas, of the potential impacts from flooding incidents as well as proper methods to protect
themselves and their property.
Increased precipitation, as predicted in the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, is
anticipated to come in the form of heavier, shorter events which lead to the increased potential
for flooding and stress on infrastructure such as sanitary and storm sewers. Heavy precipitation
events are anticipated to occur more frequently as temperatures rise, replacing rain when
previously there was snow.
Despite these efforts, the overall vulnerability and monetary value of damages is expected to
increase in the area unless additional measures, such as those discussed later in Chapter 5 of
this report, are implemented.
Indirect effects of flooding may include increased emergency response times due to flooded or
redirected streets, the danger of dislodged and floating propane tanks causing explosions, and

September 2026
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the need for additional personnel to carry out the necessary evacuations. Additional effects may
include sheltering needs for those evacuated, and the loss of income or revenue related to
business interruptions. Several communities within Newton County host numerous special
events near to or on the rivers and waterways. These special events may have to be cancelled or
postponed due to flooding or high-water levels.
Relationship to Other Hazards
While flooding creates social, physical, and economic losses, it may also cause other hazards to
occur. For example, flooding may increase the potential for a hazardous materials incident to
occur. Above ground storage facilities may be toppled or become loosened and migrate from
the original location. In less severe situations, the materials commonly stored in homes and
garages such as oils, cleaners, and de-greasers, may be mobilized by flood waters. Should
access roads to hazardous materials handlers become flooded, or if bridges are damaged by
flood waters, response times to more significant incidents may be increased, potentially
increasing the damage associated with the release.
Increased volumes of water during a flood event may also lead to a dam failure. As the water
levels rise in areas protected by dams, at some point, these structures will overtop or will breach
leading to even more water being released. These two hazards, flood, and dam failure, when
combined, may certainly result in catastrophic damage.
In a similar fashion, a snowstorm or ice storm can also lead to flooding on either a localized or
regional scale. When a large amount of snow or ice accumulates, the potential for a flood is
increased. As the snow or ice melts, and the ground becomes saturated or remains frozen,
downstream flooding may occur. Ice jams near bridges and culverts may also result in flooding
of localized areas and potentially damage the bridge or culvert itself.
Repeated flooding may also create impacts associated with landslides along riverbanks and
bluff areas. As floodwaters travel through the systems, saturating shorelines and increasing
volumes and velocities of water, the natural process of fluvial erosion may be exacerbated. As
these processes are increased, structures and infrastructure located on bluffs or in proximity to
the river may be at risk.
Flooding in known hazard areas may also be caused by dams that experience structural damage
or failures not related to increased volumes or velocities of water. These “sunny day failures,”
while not typical, may occur wherever these structures exist throughout the county.

Newton County MHMP
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HAILSTORM, THUNDERSTORM, AND WINDSTORM
Overview
Hail occurs when frozen water droplets form inside a thunderstorm cloud and then grow into ice
formations held aloft by powerful thunderstorm updrafts, and when the weight of the ice
formations become too heavy, they fall to the ground as hail. Hail size ranges from smaller than
a pea to as large as a softball, and can be very destructive to buildings, vehicles, and crops. Even
small hail can cause considerable damage to young and tender plants. Residents should take
cover immediately in a hailstorm, and protect pets and livestock, which are particularly
vulnerable to hail, and should be under shelter as well.
Thunderstorms are defined as strong storm systems produced by a cumulonimbus cloud,
usually accompanied by thunder, lightning, gusty winds, and heavy rains. All thunderstorms are
considered dangerous as lightning is one of the by-products of the initial storm. Although most
lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term,
debilitating symptoms. Other associated dangers of thunderstorms included tornadoes, high
winds, hail, and flash flooding.
Windstorms or high winds can result from thunderstorm inflow and outflow, or downburst winds
when the storm cloud collapses, and can result from strong frontal systems, or gradient winds
(high- or low-pressure systems). High winds are speeds reaching 50 mph or greater, either
sustained or gusting.
Extent and History
In Newton County, the NCEI indicates one dust storm, three hailstorms, and 14
thunderstorm/windstorm events have occurred between January 1, 2021, to December 31,
2025.
According to the Midwest Regional Climate Center hail is considered severe if a thunderstorm
produces hail stones larger than one in. in diameter, or larger than the size of a quarter. Of the
three events mentioned above, two occurred on May 7, 2023, with one in the town of Morocco
and the other in the Lake Village area, and one occurred on August 12, 2025, in the town of
Morocco. Hailstone diameters ranged from one in. to 1.75 in. A hailstone of 1.75 in is similar to
the size of a golf ball and can cause car dents, significant damage to roofs, and exterior paint
damage. Of the three instances of hailstorms, there were no reports of crop damage, property
damage, injuries, or deaths from both the NCEI and local news sources.
Significant windstorms are characterized by the top wind speeds achieved during the incident.
Such high wind events characteristically occur in conjunction with thunderstorms and have
historically occurred year-round with the greatest frequency and damage occurring in May,
June, and August. Within Newton County, NCEI reports three instances where top wind speeds
were 60 mph or greater. Thunderstorm and windstorm events with speeds of 60mph or greater
typically cause more damage and are similar to winds of a weak tornado, according to the NWS.
The 14 total instances of thunderstorms and high wind events occurred on 11 different dates.
Many event reports included in the NCEI did not provide descriptive information on the social,
physical, and economic losses resulting from individual storms specific to Newton County. In
local storm reports at the NWS, where damages were reported, narrative descriptions of the
event rarely extended beyond reports of damage to broken tree limbs, downed power lines, or
roof damage.

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The ever-changing climate has impacted the frequency of hailstorms, thunderstorms, and
windstorms. Based on information published by NOAA, the average intensity of rain is
increasing while the duration of rain events is decreasing. With these circumstances extreme
events will be increasing because there will be more rain in a shorter time period. Appendix 9
provides the NCEI information regarding hailstorms, thunderstorms, and windstorms that have
been reported within the county.
Probability
The committee determined the probability of a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm occurring
anywhere throughout Newton County is “Highly Likely” and will typically affect broad portions
of the county at one time resulting in potentially “Limited” damages. As advancements in
technologies such as weather radar systems and broadcast alerts are continually made, the
warning time for such incidents may increase. Currently, the committee estimates that the
warning time is 12 to 24 hours, and the duration is expected to last less than six hours.
Indicative of a regional hazard, the probability, magnitude, warning time, and duration of a
hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm are expected to be similar throughout the county. These
events are highly unpredictable, and the occurrences are distributed throughout the county,
sometimes impacting one community more often or more severely than another. Therefore, the
CPRI values reflect the distributed risk and associated priority for a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or
windstorm. A CPRI summary is provided in Appendix 8.
Specific locations and frequency of hailstorms, thunderstorms, and windstorms are difficult to
predict as many of these individual events are without significant warning time and may have
impacts on very limited areas or may affect broader areas. However, based on NCEI data and
personal experiences of the committee, it was determined that all areas within the county are
anticipated to experience a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm within the calendar year.
More likely, these communities will be impacted by several of these hazard events each year.
The magnitude is anticipated to be similar based on the number of critical and essential facilities
and populations of each of the municipalities.
Assessing Vulnerability
The effects of a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm may be minimal to extensive in nature
and may affect small or broad ranges of land area. Within Newton County, direct and indirect
effects from a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•

Damages to infrastructure (power lines)
Damages to individual properties (homes, cars)
Physical injuries may be experienced by those unable to find shelter during storm
events, such as homeless people, hikers, and outdoor workers

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•

Downed power lines due to falling tree limbs as seen in Figure 26
Losses associated with power outages
Damages sustained from blowing debris
Cancellation or interruption of special events

Newton County MHMP
Page 55

Estimating Potential Losses
Due to the unpredictability of this hazard all
critical and essential facilities and non-critical
structures in Newton County are at risk of damage
including temporary or permanent loss of
function. For hailstorms, thunderstorms, and
windstorms, it is not possible to isolate specific
critical and essential facilities or non-critical
structures that would be vulnerable to damage.
However, areas where utility lines are above
ground and areas where dead or dying trees have
not been removed may be at a higher risk of
property damage or power outages during
hailstorms, thunderstorms, and windstorms.
Figure 26: Damage from High
Additionally, mobile homes and accessory
Thunderstorm Winds
buildings such as pole barns and sheds may also
be at a higher risk of damage from hailstorms, thunderstorms, and windstorms if not properly
anchored to the ground. Homeless individuals and families who have alternative means of
sheltering may experience greater losses since the stability of tents and alternative structures
does not withstand the damaging forces of the storms.
Future Considerations
As the population of the communities in Newton County develops and redevelops, it can be
anticipated that the number of structures will also increase. To reduce the vulnerability for
damage resulting from a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm, measures such as proper
anchoring are vital. This includes not only roof anchors but also mobile home anchors. Proper
tree maintenance, and burial of power lines should be completed. Adoption and enforcement
of the current International Building Codes is key to ensuring structures can withstand the power
of wind and hailstorms. While measures can be taken to remove existing structures or prevent
future structures from being built in known hazard areas such as floodplains and hazardous
materials facility buffers, such measures are not applicable to hailstorms, thunderstorms, and
windstorms due to the diffuse nature and regional impacts of this hazard.
Indirect effects resulting from a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm can include power
outages caused by downed tree limbs or flying debris, damage resulting from prolonged power
outages, and damage to structures or property because of debris.
Relationship to Other Hazards
Hailstorms, thunderstorms, and windstorms may be the precursor for other hazards. For
example, hazardous materials incidents can be the result of a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or a
windstorm. Material storage containers can become damaged by high winds, debris, or even
lightning, and can result in a spill or release of materials. With wind speeds greater than 58 mph,
tankers and other transportation vehicles carrying hazardous materials are also at risk while on
the road. High winds may also cause gaseous substances to travel farther distances at a much
faster rate, increasing the evacuation area necessary to protect residents and visitors of Newton
County.
Additionally, rainfall typically occurs with a thunderstorm, and this additional precipitation may
lead to localized flooding or riverine flooding depending on the amount of rain during the event.
Debris from a windstorm may also lead to localized flooding if debris is deposited over drains

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or if obstructions are created by downed limbs, trees, or other storm related debris. A similar
concern due to the potential precipitation would be dam failure. High winds may place debris
near spillways, blocking the emergency drainage mechanism for the dams. High winds may also
lead to structural damage to a dam or may cause damage to nearby trees or other structures,
leading to indirect damage.
The risk of social losses also increases during a hailstorm, thunderstorm, or windstorm, as these
hazards often result in downed power lines, utility poles, and trees. Debris such as this may
impede traffic patterns and make it difficult for emergency vehicles (fire, emergency medical
services (EMS), and police) to pass through affected areas or people may be directly injured
because of falling or flying debris.

Newton County MHMP
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LANDSLIDE, LAND SUBSIDENCE, AND FLUVIAL EROSION
Overview
Land subsidence, according to the USGS, is “a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s
surface owing to subsurface movement of earth materials.” Further, there are three processes
that contribute to subsidence: compaction of aquifer systems, drainage and subsequent
oxidation of organic soils, and dissolution and collapse of susceptible rocks.
Another important consideration is FEH. This represents the risk associated with natural stream
movements and losses associated with buildings and infrastructure. In some cases, this may be
represented by a gradual movement of a stream across a farm field. In other, more extreme
instances, homes or other infrastructure may be lost as steep riverbanks or bluffs sluff into the
water below.
Extent, History, and Location
USGS maps the locations of highly mobile streams or streams whose position changes over time
as they carve out the earth surrounding them. Newton County currently has no actively migrating
streams. Additionally, IDNR maps the FEH areas within the county. All mapped waterways within
Newton County are relatively stable, meaning there is likely to be little to no movement of the
waterway. Development along the banks of these waterways could be susceptible to erosion
should the river transition to an actively migrating stream.
The National Park Service says, “karst is a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock
has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features.” These
areas can be dangerous to people and infrastructure as they can develop quickly and leave large
holes in the ground. IndianaMap shows that there is no known karst geology within the county.
Additionally, IndianaMap shows that there are no underground mining operations within the
county. Underground mining operations can occasionally lead to landslides and land
subsidence as voids, or areas where materials were excavated, are left. This can cause the
ground above them to collapse leading to a landslide or land subsidence.
Extent and History
Newton County has no known karst geology. However, even some of the portions that have no
known karst are considered at a relatively low risk for landslides according to the National Risk
Index. The risk index considers expected annual loss as well as vulnerabilities by census tract
and community resilience. To date there have been no known significant landslides, land
subsidence, or fluvial erosion within the county.
The risk index calculates expected annual loss by multiplying exposure (the representative value
of buildings, population, or agriculture potentially exposed to landslides), annualized frequency
(the frequency or probability of a landslide occurring), and historic loss ratio (represents the
estimated percentage of exposed building value, population, or agriculture value expected to
be lost due to landslides). The risk index expects an annual loss of $313 for Newton County.
When compared to other hazards, community leaders may choose to focus on other hazards as
the expected annual loss is much lower than estimated damages from other hazards.

September 2026
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USGS’s
US
Landslide
Inventory
and
Susceptibility shows areas of previous
landslides and shows which areas are
susceptible to landslides. Figure 28 shows that
areas along the Iroquois River and Kankakee
River may be more susceptible to landslides.
Additionally, there are two areas, one
southwest of Mount Ayr and one east of
Kentland, which have a high susceptibility to
landslides. These areas should be investigated
and development in these areas should be
avoided.
Probability
The committee determined the probability of a
landslide or subsidence occurring in Newton
County is “Unlikely.” Any event is anticipated to
result in potentially “Negligible” damages.
Currently, the committee estimates that the
warning time is less than six hours and similarly,
the duration is estimated to last less than six
hours. These events are highly unpredictable
and the risk, although very low according to
the committee, is distributed throughout the
county. Therefore, the CPRI values reflect the
distributed risk and associated priority for a
landslide or subsidence event. A CPRI
summary for landslide, land subsidence, and
fluvial erosion is provided in Appendix 8.
Assessing Vulnerability
Within Newton County, direct and indirect
effects may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•

Damages to infrastructure (power
lines, roads, bridges)
Damages to individual properties
(homes, cars)
Loss of cropland immediately adjacent
to the rivers

Figure 27: Landslide Susceptibility in Newton
County

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•

Increased response time for emergency vehicles
Losses associated with affected land (crop loss)
Potential contamination of groundwater resources
Loss of business due to roadway access and power loss

Newton County MHMP
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Estimating Potential Losses
According to the National Risk Index, expected annual losses have been calculated for the areas
in Newton County which are at risk of damage including temporary or permanent loss of
function. In addition, areas where FEH meander belt widths (FEH zones) have been identified,
may be at a higher risk of property damage caused by such events. To prepare a community
based basic “what-if” scenario, the Indiana FEH GIS layers were overlaid onto parcel data
provided by the county. Table 14 identifies the number of structures and potential damage
within the FEH areas.
Table 14: Summary of Parcels and Critical and Essential Facilities in the FEH Zone
Community

Potential Damages
# Parcels

# Structures

# Critical and Essential Facilities

Newton County

1359

75

0

Town of Brook

50

25

2

Town of Goodland

11

1

0

Town of Kentland
Town of Morocco

150

56

0

0

0

0

Town of Mount Ayr

0

0

0

1570

157

2

Total

Future Considerations
As the populations of the communities in Newton County grow, it can be anticipated that the
number of critical and non-critical structures will also increase. To reduce the vulnerability for
damages resulting from a landslide or land subsidence, FEH area GIS layers along with the
floodplain information should be integrated into the building permit or approval process. In
recent years, no significant development has occurred within these areas of Newton County.
However, depending on the location, any development may increase the vulnerability to this
hazard.
Although the county rivers are considered relatively stable, having little lateral movement
annually, extreme precipitation events may cause erosion to take place in previously stable
areas. Given this potential it is key the community continues to discourage construction of
infrastructure and homes in the meander belt widths for each stream, such as the Iroquois River
and the Kankakee River.
As future growth takes place, the indirect effects resulting from a landslide or land subsidence
event can cause challenges for the community if transportation routes are damaged, and
businesses must close due to access issues and loss of power. Cascading impacts in smaller
counties can have long lasting effects on the local economy, community growth, health, and
welfare.
Relationship to Other Hazards
A landslide, subsidence event or FEH event may be the precursor for other hazards. Depending
on the location of the event, material storage containers can become damaged resulting in a
spill or release of materials and potentially contaminating groundwater reserves. Dam failures
may occur in much the same fashion if located in the potential hazard areas, or resulting from
heavy saturation following a rainstorm, heavy snow, or rapid snow melt. FEH may result in

September 2026
Page 60

flooding in areas previously not impacted by flood due to debris clogging drainage ways and
loss of earthen berms near the waterways.
Similarly, these types of events may be caused by hail, thunder, or windstorms and their effects
on the soils; an earthquake may release the ground enough to set a slide in motion; or a flood
may add increased soil saturation or weight to at-risk areas increasing the potential for an event
and resulting damages.

Newton County MHMP
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TORNADO
Overview
A tornado is generated when conditions in a strong cell are produced that exhibit a wall of cool
air that overrides a layer of warm air. The underlying layer of warm air rapidly rises, while the
layer of cool air drops – sparking the swirling action. The damage from a tornado is a result of
the high wind velocity and wind-blown debris. Tornado season is generally from April through
June in Indiana, although tornadoes can occur at any time of year. Tornadoes tend to occur in
the afternoons and evenings; over 80% of all tornadoes strike between 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm
but can occur at any time of day or night.
The classification of tornadoes utilizes the Enhanced Fujita Scale of tornado intensity and
damage. Tornado intensity ranges from low intensity (EF0) tornadoes with effective wind speeds
of 65-85 mph to high intensity (EF5+) tornadoes with effective wind speeds of 200+ mph (Table
15).
Table 15: Enhanced Fujita Scale for Tornadoes
EFScale

Windspeed,
mph

Character of
Damage

Relative
Frequency

Typical Damage

EFU

N/A

N/A

3.11%

No surveyable damage

EF0

65-85

Light damage

52.82%

Shallow rooted trees blown over;
damage to roofs, gutters, siding

EF1

86-110

Moderate damage

32.98%

Mobile homes overturned, roofs
stripped, windows broken

EF2

111-135

Considerable
damage

8.41%

Large trees snapped, light-object
missiles generated, cars lifted

EF3

136-165

Severe damage

2.18%

Severe damage to large buildings,
trains overturned

EF4

166-200

Devastating
damage

0.45%

Whole houses destroyed; cars
thrown

EF5

201+

Incredible damage

0.05%

High-rise buildings significantly
damaged, strong framed homes
blown away

Extent, History, and Location
In Newton County, the NCEI indicates one funnel cloud and three tornadoes from the period
January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025.
Of the three events, damage assessments suggested EF0 damages for all tornadoes and no
crop damage, property damage, injuries, or deaths were reported for the three events. The
event narratives described limited damages to a grain bin and uprooted trees. Appendix 9
provides the NCEI information regarding tornadoes that have been reported within the county.
During the development of this plan, nearby news sources, such as ABC 7 Chicago and WCIA 3
news, reported that an EF 3 tornado hit the Lake Village area of the county causing two deaths
and several injuries on March 10, 2026. Other damages included damage to roofs, a destroyed
Family Dollar store and nearby gas station, shattered windows, and smashed vehicles.

September 2026
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Additionally, Newton County utility crews reported more than 800 customers who were still
without power as of Thursday, March 12, 2026 (roughly 36 hours later).
Probability
The committee estimated the probability of a tornado occurring in Newton County would be
“Likely” and the magnitude of such an event to be “Significant” for all communities besides the
county. Due to the county’s sparsely inhabited lands the county anticipated the magnitude to be
“Limited.” The overall risk index is “Elevated” throughout the county. As with many hazardous
events, the committee anticipated a short warning time of typically less than six hours, and a
short duration, also less than six. The CPRI summary for tornadoes is shown in appendix 8.
The Indiana State Climate Office estimates that throughout Indiana, there is an average of 20
tornado touchdowns per year. Based on the number of tornado touchdowns previously
reported through the NCEI and local weather agencies, the committee determined the risk from
a tornado was elevated.
Assessing Vulnerability
As the path of a tornado is not pre-defined, it is difficult to isolate specific critical and essential
and non-critical structures, or areas of Newton County that would be vulnerable to a tornado.
Direct and indirect effects from a tornado may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•
•

Increase damage to older construction including residential and business structures,
mobile homes, and accessory structures (pole barns, silos, and sheds)
Damage to structures in the immediate pathway (businesses, residences, and
warehouses)
Loss of alternative housing stock nearby
Damages to above ground utility lines and structures

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•

Loss of revenue for affected businesses.
Expenses related to community clean-up and debris removal from public rights of way
and public facilities
Inability for property owners to work while dealing with personal property damages
from the tornado and debris removal from high winds
Affected business owners may experience loss of revenue if they are unable to continue
operations following the event. Similarly, if a business is affected and unable to operate,
employees may experience a loss of wages during the period of recovery

Estimating Potential Losses
Due to the unpredictability of this hazard, all critical and essential facilities, critical infrastructure,
and non-critical structures within the county are at risk of future damage or loss of function.
Estimates of potential physical losses were determined through a hypothetical exercise where
an EF2 intensity tornado traveled through portions of the county and the communities. This is
intended to present a “what-if” scenario of a tornado incident and associated damages. Damage
estimates were derived by assuming that 25% of all structures in the path of the tornado would
be completely destroyed, 35% of the structures would be 50% damaged, and 40% of the
structures would sustain 25% damage. These estimations were also determined utilizing three
Newton County MHMP
Page 63

wind speed zones based on distance from the tornado path. Zone one is nearest the center of
the tornado path, while Zone three is the farthest from the path and with a theoretically lower
wind speed. Table 16 provides summary data for the hypothetical tornado, which is identified
on Exhibit 3. Tables 16-17 only include communities in the path of the tornado and structures
not labeled as unclassified, of which there were three in the town of Kentland. The actual
damages from a tornado along this path may be higher or lower depending on the exact route,
wind speeds, and perhaps time of day.
Table 16: Summary of Hypothetical Tornado Damages
Community
Newton County
Town of Brook
Town of Kentland
Total

Zone 1
#
12
51
118
181

$
$1.9M
$4.8M
$10.7M
$17.4M

Zone 2
#
4
33
82
119

$
$494.3K
$3.2M
$7.5M
$11.2M

Zone 3
#
9
27
64
100

$
$1.1M
$3.4M
$6.2M
$10.8M

Total
#
25
111
264
400

$
3.5M
$11.4M
$24.4M
$39.4M

Utilizing the same GIS information and process, critical and essential within each of the
hypothetical tornado zones were identified and are included in Table 17. These buildings are
included in the above table showing the number of structures and damage estimate information.
Table 17: Critical and Essential facilities within Hypothetical Tornado
Community

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Newton County
Town of Brook

United Methodist Church

Town of Kentland

Newton County Baptist Church

Future Considerations
The communities within Newton County host numerous events each year in addition to the
regular tourist attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities which attract thousands of
guests. Due to this, it is imperative that the EMA place continued importance on the need to
maintain their outdoor warning siren coverage and support alternative notification methods for
people who are unable to hear the outdoor warning sirens or may not be tuned in to local media.
Because of the dispersed population concentration, coverage is limited to the more densely
populated portions of the county. The existing outdoor warning siren locations are identified in
Figure 29.
While it can be anticipated that new construction associated with development may be stronger
than older or existing construction, existing older structures, barns, pole buildings, silos, and
mobile homes remain threatened by tornados. The unincorporated portions of the county will
remain vulnerable, especially where the outdoor warning siren coverage is not present. It is
impossible to predict the path of a tornado and therefore all current and future development
will continue to be at risk for damage. Risks to the citizens of the county may be lessened through
participation in mass notification programs, use of weather radios, and turning on the
emergency alert feature on cell phones. Having multiple means of warning citizens, businesses
and visitors about incoming weather events is critical to continued economic growth and wellbeing of the communities and the county.

September 2026
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Relationship to Other Hazards
Tornadoes may result in a hazardous material
incident. Material storage containers can
become damaged by high winds and debris
can result in a spill or release of materials. As
wind speeds increase, the potential for
damage to above ground storage containers
also
increases.
Tankers
and
other
transportation vehicles carrying hazardous
materials are also at an increased risk while on
the road or rail.
Tornadoes may also result in a dam failure as
the increased wind speeds, and debris caused
by the tornado may directly impact the dam or
cause indirect damage by clogging outlet
structures or emergency spillways. In addition,
tornadoes may lead to structural fires as the
destruction path is sometimes long and broad,
leading to an increased number of potentially
damaged homes, exposed power lines, gas
leaks, and substantial amounts of debris.

Figure 28: Siren Locations in Newton County

Newton County MHMP
Page 65

WINTER STORMS AND ICE
Overview
A winter storm can range from moderate snow over a few hours to blizzard conditions with high
winds, ice storms, freezing rain or sleet, heavy snowfall with blinding wind-driven snow, and
extremely cold temperatures that can last for several days. Winter storms are typically
accompanied by cold temperatures and blowing snow, which can severely reduce visibility. A
winter storm is defined as one that drops four or more inches of snow during a 12-hour period,
or six or more inches during a 24-hour span.
An ice storm occurs when freezing rain falls from clouds and freezes immediately upon contact
with a variety of surfaces. All winter storms make driving and walking extremely hazardous. The
aftermath of a winter storm can affect a community or region for days, weeks, and even months.
Storm effects such as extreme cold, flooding, snow, and ice accumulation can cause hazardous
conditions and hidden problems for people in the affected area. People can become stranded
on the road or trapped at home, without utilities or other services, including food, water, and
fuel supplies. The conditions may overwhelm the capabilities of a local jurisdiction. Winter
storms are considered deceptive killers as they may indirectly cause transportation accidents,
and injury and death resulting from exhaustion, overexertion, hypothermia and frostbite from
wind chill, and asphyxiation. House fires occur more frequently in the winter due to the use of
alternative heat sources, such as space heaters, and lack of proper safety precautions.
Wind chill is a calculation of how cold it feels outside when the effects of temperature and wind
speed are combined. On November 1, 2001, the NWS implemented a replacement WCT index
for the 2001/2002 winter season. The reason for the change was to improve upon the current
WCT index, which was based on the 1945 Siple and Passel Index.
A winter storm watch indicates that severe winter weather may affect your area. A winter storm
warning indicates that severe winter weather conditions are on the way. In the event of a blizzard,
a winter storm warning will be issued and include the details of the blizzard - that large amount
of falling or blowing snow and sustained winds of at least 35 mph are expected for several hours.
Location
Newton County is located in northwestern Indiana which is a region often associated with winter
storms. Such conditions can result in substantial personal and property damage, even death. A
large number of winter storm products are available such as the Indiana travel advisory levels
(Figure 29) which helps communities better understand the potential impacts of the storm or
other hazardous event. Some counties, particularly those with larger populations or urbanized
areas, may also want to utilize the NWS’s WSSI tool.

September 2026
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Indiana Travel Advisory Levels
Routine travel or activities may be restricted in some areas
Advisory due to hazardous conditions
•

Drive with caution and avid affected areas if possible

Conditions are threatening to public safety
•
•

Watch

Only essential travel is recommended
Businesses and schools should implement emergency plans

Conditions are extremely dangerous. Roads are closed or
restricted to emergency personnel only

Warning

•
•

Stay off the roads
Violating a travel warning may constitute a class B
misdemeanor

Figure 29: Indiana Travel Advisory Levels

Figure 31 graphically indicates Newton County’s minimum temperature is warming at a rate of
0.3°F each decade since roughly 1895. This increase will likely result in the county experiencing
less snow and more ice. This tradeoff is due to a greater likelihood of atmospheric temperatures
being above freezing which will melt any snow and then refreeze the drops of rain resulting in
freezing rain or sleet.

Figure 30: Newton County Minimum Temperatures from 1895 to 2024

Extent and History
In Newton County, the NCEI has recorded zero heavy snows, zero ice storms, zero lake-effect
snows, six winter storms, and 13 winter weather events between January 1, 2021, to December
31, 2025.
NCEI reports indicated no property damage, no additional crop damage and no injuries, or
deaths associated with any of the events. Many narrative descriptions indicated poor travel
conditions, numerous power outages and debris associated with the winter weather events. On
January 30, 2021, 9.5 in. of snow was reported in the town of Kentland. Followed by February
17, 2022, with over nine in. of snow recorded in the town of Morocco. Most recently, on February
8, 2025, periods of freezing drizzle and rain resulted in most of northern Indiana recording
roughly a tenth of ice accumulation. The Valparaiso Airport recorded 0.07 in of ice. Appendix

Newton County MHMP
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9 provides the NCEI information regarding winter storms and ice that have been reported within
the county.
Probability
The probability, magnitude, warning times, and duration of a snowstorm or ice storm causing
disruption to residents and businesses in Newton County, as determined by the planning
committee, is expected to be mostly consistent throughout the county and communities. It is
“Highly Likely” that this type of hazard will occur in the area and will typically affect the entire
county, and possibly several surrounding counties at one time, resulting in primarily “Significant”
damages when considering residents within sparsely population areas and the older population
of the county. The typical warning time for severe temperatures or several inches of snow
associated with a winter storm is usually greater than 24 hours while the duration of the incident
is anticipated to be less than one day. A CPRI summary for winter storms and ice is shown in
Appendix 8.
Based on historical data and the experience of the planning committee, snowstorms have
become less common in Newton County with the changing climate. However, ice storms bring
more extensive challenges to the communities. Actions have been taken to mitigate many
impacts from snow and ice storms. Lake effect snowstorms can be less predictable, depositing
greater amounts of snow in a contiguous county and lesser amounts in Newton County or the
opposite. The committee considered only the larger, more detrimental events for this effort.
Assessing Vulnerability
A snowstorm typically affects a large regional area with potential for physical, economic, and
social losses. Direct and indirect effects of a snowstorm or ice storm within the county may
include:
Direct Effects:
•

•
•
•
•

A higher number of businesses rely on the outside workforce and may experience loss
of production as employees may not be able to get to work. The high number of
residents traveling to other areas for work results in a loss of income due to the inability
to reach their normal worksites
Rural (county) roads may be impassable
Increased expenses related to snow removal or brine/sand applications
Weight of ice and wet snow impacts older structures roofs as well as powerlines
Large ice and snow events interrupt economic activity within the community

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•
•

Loss of revenue as businesses are closed
Increased emergency response times based on safety of roads
Loss of income if workers are unable to get to their place of employment
Delayed impacts due to supply chain disruptions – products not received or shipped on
time cause lost wages and revenues
Cancellation of special events and reduced tourist activities impact the local economy

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Estimating Potential Losses
Given the nature and complexity of a regional hazard such as a snowstorm, it is difficult to
quantify potential losses to property and infrastructure. As a result, all critical and essential
facilities, critical infrastructure, and non-critical structures and infrastructure are at risk from
snowstorm and ice storm incidents.
For planning purposes, information collected about snowstorms impacting other communities
around the nation is also useful in assessing the potential social, physical, and economic impact
that a winter storm could have on communities.
In December 2008, Allen County had a wintry combination of freezing rains, snow, and ice. This
storm was the largest disaster for Indiana Michigan Power with 110K Allen County customers
without power. One thousand six hundred (1.6K) additional crew members were brought in to
restore electrical service to the county. According to the Journal Gazette $10M–$12M was spent
to clean up the debris, make repairs and labor costs for this event.
While the above example indicates the wide-ranging and large-scale impact that winter storms
can have on a community or region, winter storms generally tend to result in less direct
economic impacts than many other natural hazards. According to the workshop on the social
and economic impacts of weather, which was sponsored by the U.S. Weather Research Program,
the American Meteorological Society, the White House Subcommittee on Natural Disaster
Relief, and others, winter storms resulted in an average of 47 deaths and more than $1B in
economic losses per year between 1988 and 1995. However, these totals account for only 3%
of the total weather-related economic loss and only 9% of fatalities associated with all weatherrelated hazards over the same period.
Future Considerations
As populations increase and communities continue to grow, the need to respond to snowstorms
or ice storms will remain an important municipal effort. As new construction or re-development
occurs, especially new or existing critical and essential facilities, it is important to ensure that
these new structures are equipped to deal with the potential risks associated with this hazard.
Those may include lengthy power outages and potentially impassable transportation routes,
making it difficult to obtain supplies or for passage of response vehicles. These hazard events
will typically affect the entire county, perhaps multiple counties, and therefore all developments,
current and future, will be at risk for damage associated with snow and ice storms. In addition,
there will be a need for additional warming shelters for the underserved populations to take
refuge and get warm and safe respite for stranded commuters on their way to or from work. This
not only includes daytime available spaces but also overnight accommodation as the winter
storms are often accompanied by very cold temperatures and wind chills.
Winter storms can also result in substantial indirect costs. Increased emergency response times,
loss of work or the inability to get to work, as well as business interruption, are possible indirect
effects of a winter storm. According to a report by the National Center for Environmental
Predictions, the cold and snowy winter in late 1977 and early 1978, which impacted several
heavily populated regions of the country, was partially responsible for reducing the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from an estimated growth rate of between 6% and 7% during
the first three quarters of 1977 to approximately -1% in the last quarter of 1977 and 3% during
the first quarter of 1978.

Newton County MHMP
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Relationship to Other Hazards
Winter storms and ice storms can lead to flooding as the precipitation melts and enters local
receiving waters. This increased volume of water on already saturated, or still frozen ground can
quickly result in flood-related damage to structures and properties as well as within the stream
or river channel. Newton County has an increased risk of flooding following heavy precipitation
events. The increased flooding may then lead to a dam failure within the same area, further
exacerbating the damage.
Hazardous materials incidents may be caused by poor road conditions during winter storms or
ice storms. Many hazardous materials are transported by rail or by tanker over highways and
interstates. In the more rural areas of the county, or where open areas are more susceptible to
snow drifts on roads, the possibility of a traffic related hazardous materials incident may increase
due to road obstruction and lack of visibility.
Power outages and other infrastructure failures may also occur during a winter storm. Weight
from snow and ice accumulations can directly or indirectly cause power lines to fail. During
extreme cold temperatures, power outages may prove deadly for certain populations such as
the homeless, the elderly or ill. Power outages in the winter are especially dangerous as families
try to generate heat using alternative heat sources. Alternative heating sources may not be safely
used or may be placed too close to combustible materials resulting in fires and burn injuries or
death.

September 2026
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DAM AND LEVEE FAILURE
Overview
A dam is defined as a barrier constructed across a watercourse for the purpose of storage,
control, or diversion of water. Dams typically are constructed of earth, rock, concrete, or mine
tailings. A dam failure is a collapse, breach, or other failure resulting in downstream flooding.
Of the approximately 80K dams identified nationwide in the National Inventory of Dams (NID),
the majority are privately owned. Each regulated dam is assigned a downstream hazard
classification based on the potential loss of life and damage to property should the dam fail. The
three classifications are high, significant, and low. With changing demographics and land
development in downstream areas, hazard classifications of regulated are updated continually.
The following definitions of hazard classification currently apply to dams in Indiana:
High-hazard Dam: a structure, the failure of which may cause the loss of life and severe
damage to homes, industrial and commercial buildings, public utilities, major highways, or
railroads.
Significant-hazard Dam: a structure, the failure of which may damage isolated homes and
highways or cause the temporary interruption of public utility services.
Low-hazard Dam: a structure, the failure of which may damage farm buildings, agricultural
land, or local roads.
In Indiana, not all dams are regulated. To be regulated by the IDNR, the dam must meet at least
one of the following criteria:
•
•
•

The dam has a drainage area of more than one mi2
The dam is 20 ft. in height or greater
The dam impounds a volume of more than 100 acre-ft. of water

A dam’s classification may be changed to a high-hazard classification through a successful
petition by a downstream property owner. If this occurs, then the dam will also be regulated by
IDNR. Federally owned and operated dams are not under IDNR’s jurisdiction. Examples of
Federally regulated dams include Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and US Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) structures. Although regulations are similar, there are additional
requirements based on the regulating agency.
A levee is a flood control structure engineered and designed to hold water away from a building.
Levees protect buildings from flooding as well as from the force of water, from scour at the
foundation, and from impacts of floating debris. The principle causes of levee failure, like those
associated with dam failure, include overtopping, surface erosion, internal erosion, and slides
within the levee embankment or the foundation walls. Levees are designed to protect against a
particular flood level and may be overtopped during a more severe event. When a levee system
fails or is overtopped, the result can be catastrophic and often more damaging than if the levee
were not there, due to increased elevation differences and water velocity. The water flowing
through the breach continues to erode the levee and increases the size of the breach until it is
repaired or water levels on the two sides of the levee have equalized. The FEMA and USACE
remind people living and working behind levees that there is always a residual risk when living
or working in a facility located behind a levee. Levees reduce the risk of a flood, but do not
completely eliminate that risk.

Newton County MHMP
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Location
Within Newton County, there are two structures listed in the IDNR dams list. Of the two dams in
the county, one is classified as a low hazard and one is classified as a significant hazard. Table
18 shows all the structures listed on the NID.
Table 18: Dams in Newton County
State
ID

Dam Name

Owner Types

Hazard Potential
Classification

State Regulated
Dam

IEAP
Prepared

56-1

J.C. Murphey Lake Dam

State

Significant

Yes

No

56-2

South Marsh (InChannel) Dam

Private

Low

Yes

No

According to the National Levee Database (NLD) managed by the USACE, there are no certified
levee systems within the County.
Extent and History
According to local news sources, there have been no failures or partial failures at either of the
two Newton County dams.
Dam inspections can provide an assessment of the overall structural integrity and condition. A
dam with a rating of unsatisfactory is more likely to fail than a dam rated as satisfactory.
According to the NID inspection database of dams whose inspections are public information,
the low hazard dam, J.C. Murphy Lake Dam, has been rated as fair. The South Marsh Dam is
privately owned dam and does not have an inspection record on the NID website. According to
the database a rating of fair may be used when “No existing dam safety deficiencies are
recognized for normal operations. Rare or extreme hydrologic or seismic events may result in a
dam safety deficiency.”
Probability
Based on the information provided to them and their local knowledge, experience, and
expertise, the committee determined the probability of a dam failure is “Unlikely.” As the two
dams are located within the unincorporated areas of the county, the towns determined that their
magnitudes would be “Negligible,” the warning time would be greater than 24 hours, and the
duration would be less than six hours. Newton County representatives estimated the magnitude
would be “Limited,” the warning time would be less than six hours, and the duration would be
less than one week. Overall, the committee determined the risk of a dam failure would be low.
Appendix 8 provides a CPRI summary of the planning committee’s expectations during a dam
failure.
Assessing Vulnerability
The actual magnitude and extent of damage due to a dam or levee failure depends on the nature
of the breach, the volume of water that is released, and the width of the floodplain valley to
accommodate the flood wave. Due to the conditions beyond the control of the dam or levee
owner or engineer, there may be unforeseen structural problems, natural forces, mistakes in
operation, negligence, or vandalism that may cause a structure to fail.

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Incident and Emergency Action Plans (IEAPs) are now required for all high hazard dams by state
law; however, these plans are not mandated for the low and significant hazard structures. Dam
owners are, however, encouraged to prepare an IEAP to help identify whom to notify and what
actions may need to take place in the event of an incident or emergency event affecting the dam.
Additionally, these plans show at-risk structures that may be affected by a dam failure. For the
state regulated high hazard dams, the IDNR dam safety webpage shows which areas may be
inundated during a dam failure. All dam owners are encouraged to develop an IEAP. The owners
of the two Newton County dams have not yet developed IEAPs.
Within Newton County, direct and indirect effects from a dam failure may include:
Direct Effects:
•
•

Moderate to severe damage to downstream homes, industrial and commercial
buildings, public utilities, major highways, or railroads
Loss of use of reservoirs for flood control, recreation, and water supply

Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Environmental damage includes altered landscapes, eroded soils, habitat destruction,
and loss of wildlife from sudden releases of water
Water quality impacts if contamination is in the water. This could potentially cause
human health problems as well as fish and wildlife injury or death
Increased response times due to damaged or re-routed transportation routes or bridges
Long lasting economic impacts on the community due to business closures, and
relocation of impacted property owners
Economic impacts also include the cost of property damage, cleanup, and recovery
Social impacts, such as displacement of people and disruption of communities

Estimating Potential Losses
The greatest dam or levee failure risk for Newton County is a breach of the one significant hazard
dam in the county, J.C. Murphey Lake Dam. Utilizing GIS maps and orthoimagery, the
infrastructure and other features of dams can be identified. This imagery can show properties
that would be isolated due to the inundation of the roadways leading in and out of the area as
well as those properties which would be inundated. Due to the locations of the two Newton
County dams, a failure of either dam would not result in damaged structures other than those
located in the floodways. The low hazard dam, the South Marsh (In-Channel) Dam, drains directly
into the Kankakee River and the significant hazard dam, J.C. Murphy Lake Dam, may inundate
areas of Illinois as it flows through the Riner Houseworth Ditch and the Hooper Branch.
Future Considerations
As areas near existing dams continue to grow in population, it can be anticipated that the
number of critical and non-critical structures could also increase accordingly. Location of these
new facilities should be carefully considered, and precautions should be taken to ensure that
schools, medical facilities, municipal buildings, and other critical infrastructure are located
outside of the delineated or estimated levee and dam failure inundation areas. Also, flood-free
access should be provided for these facilities. Until development or re-development
downstream of a dam is prohibited, those areas remain vulnerable to losses and damage
associated with a failure of that structure.

Newton County MHMP
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Community leaders may consider reaching out to community leaders in Iroquois County Illinois
to prevent potential damages if the J. C. Murphy Dam were to fail.
It is also particularly important to all downstream communities and property owners that dam
IEAPs are developed, kept up-to-date, and routinely exercised to ensure the greatest safety to
those within the hazard area. Although not mandated, this is the best management practice for
significant and low hazard dams as well.
Relationship to Other Hazards
With the potentially large volumes and velocities of water released during a breach, it can be
expected that such a failure would lead to flooding and debris flow within the inundation areas
downstream of the dam. Nearby bridges and roads are also in danger of being destroyed or
damaged due to a dam failure. Bridges may become unstable, and portions of road surfaces
may be washed away. Entire roads may be undermined by the forces of the water and debris.
Other infrastructure such as utility poles and lines may be damaged as the water and debris
flows along. Buried utility pipes may become exposed due to scouring; all of which may lead to
utility failures within the area downstream of the dam failure.
Due to flood and debris flow damages, hazardous materials facilities and transportation routes
may be damaged resulting in releases. If large propane gas tanks are located nearby, they may
be torn from their mountings and would become part of the flowing debris as well as leaking
their contents from the ruptured service lines.

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HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENT
Overview
Hazardous materials are substances that pose a potential threat to life, health, property, and the
environment if they are released. These releases create a serious hazard for workers, neighbors,
and emergency response personnel. Emergency response to a release of hazardous material
may require fire safety, law enforcement, search and rescue, and hazardous materials response
units.
As materials are transported for treatment, disposal, or transport to another facility, all
infrastructure, facilities, and residences near the transportation routes are at an elevated risk of
being affected by a hazardous materials release. Often these releases can cause serious harm
to Newton County and its residents if proper and immediate actions are not taken. Most releases
are the result of human error or improper storage and corrective actions to stabilize these
incidents may not always be feasible or practical in nature.
Railways often transport materials that are classified
as hazardous and preparations need to be made and
exercised for situations such as derailments,
train/vehicle crashes, or general leaks and spills from
transport cars.
Location
During conversations with committee members and
through information provided by local news outlets,
it was noted that numerous small and moderately
sized incidents involving manufacturing facilities and
transportation routes have occurred since the
development of the original MHMP. However, the
number of SARA Title III Tier II facilities utilizing,
storing, or manufacturing chemicals has decreased
over the years as facilities reduce the amount
hazardous materials on site. Both Tier II and other
chemical facilities as well as businesses and
industries rely on just in time delivery which results in
an increase in the number of delivery vehicles
transporting hazardous materials across the county.
Major highways and transportation routes in Newton
County are shown in Figure 32 and include:
•
•
•

I-65 Interstate
US Routes 24 and 41
State Roads 10, 14, 16, 55, and 71

There are three major railroads that transport freight
shipments into or through the county and they
include:
•
•
•

CSX RR
Norfolk Southern RR
Toledo, Peoria, & Western Railway

Figure 31: Newton County
Transportation Map

Newton County MHMP
Page 75

To mitigate against potential hazmat incidents, Newton County has established a hazardous
materials response team and has mutual aid hazardous materials response capabilities.
Extent and History
According to IDEM there were 48 reported hazardous material spills in Newton County from
January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025. Table 19 shows the spills by community over the past
five years. On July 16, 2021, 500 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled near Dehaan Ditch in Newton
County. On June 20, 2025, 125 gallons of mineral oil were spilled just outside of Kentland. On
September 17, 2025, 25 gallons of hydraulic fluid were spilled just west of Fair Oaks Farms. The
most frequently spilled material (in gallons) is diesel fuel with an approximate 1.5K gallons
spilled over the last five years. No local news stories about these spills were published including
potential impacts on the ecosystem or length to clean up the spills. Many spills within this
timeframe did not include information such as the material spilled, the amount spilled, or the
receiving water. The Indiana Spill Rule requires that any time a spill occurs it must be reported
to IDEM. Not all spills involve local first responders at the outset. Frequently company based
hazardous materials teams will address spills at the company facilities. Emergency response is
required for all hazardous material spills that pose immediate dangers to life, health, safety, the
environment, or that cannot be safely controlled by individuals near the spill.
Table 19: Newton County Hazmat Spills
Community

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Newton County
Town of Brook
Town of Goodland
Town of Kentland
Town of Morocco
Town of Mount Ayr
Total

7
0
0
0
0
0
7

10
2
0
1
0
0
13

9
0
0
0
0
0
9

9
0
0
1
0
0
10

8
1
0
0
0
0
9

Probability
According to the committee, the probability of a hazardous materials release or incident is
anticipated to be “Highly Likely” in all areas due to the number transportation routes within and
through county. “Significant” damages are estimated to result from an incident, with the level of
damage being dependent upon the location of the event. As with hazards of this nature, a short
warning time of less than six hours and a short duration, less than six hours, is anticipated in the
event of a hazardous materials incident. A CPRI summary for hazardous material incidents is
shown in Appendix 8.
Vulnerability
Within Newton County, direct and indirect effects from a hazardous materials incident may
include:
Direct Effects:
•
•
•
•
•

Acute or chronic health issues due to chemical exposure
Closure of impacted railroad crossings
Possible crop or livestock damage from chemical exposure
Damage to infrastructure from leaks, accidents, or recovery operations
Expense of decontamination and reconstruction of affected structures

September 2026
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Indirect Effects:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Loss of revenue or production while testing, recovery, or reconstruction occurs
Anxiety or stress related to the event
Potential evacuation of neighboring structures or facilities
Evacuation or relocation of homeless persons living in the impacted area
Added expenses detouring traffic around incident location
Expenses incurred due to response, testing, and cleaning of the affected areas

While the possibility of an incident occurring may be possible, the vulnerability of Newton
County has been lowered due to the enactment of SARA Title III national, state, and local
requirements. SARA Title III, also known as the Emergency Planning and Community Right to
Know Act (EPCRA), establishes requirements for planning and training at all levels of
government and industry. EPCRA also establishes provisions for citizens to have access to
information related to the type and quantity of hazardous materials being utilized, stored,
transported, or released within their communities.
One local result of SARA Title III is the formation of the LEPC. This committee has the
responsibility for preparing and implementing emergency response plans (ERP), cataloging
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), creating
chemical inventories of local industries and businesses, and reporting materials necessary for
compliance.
In Newton County, 23 facilities are subject to SARA Title III provisions due to the presence of
listed hazardous materials in quantities at or above the minimum threshold established by the
act. These facilities are also required to create and distribute emergency plans and facility maps
to local emergency responders such as the LEPC, fire departments, and police departments.
With this knowledge on hand, emergency responders and other local government officials can
be better prepared to plan for an emergency and the response it would require, and to better
prevent serious effects on the community involved.
Estimating Potential Losses
The very nature of these events makes
predicting the extent of their damage very
difficult. A small-scale spill or release
might have a minor impact and would
require only minimal response efforts.
Another slightly larger incident might
result in the disruption of business or
traffic patterns, and in this situation, might
require active control response measures
to contain a spill or release, such as in
Figure 32: Hazardous Material Spill
Figure 33. However, even small, or
moderate events could potentially grow large enough that mass evacuations or shelter in place
techniques are needed, multiple levels of response are utilized, and additional hazards such as
structural fires or additional hazardous materials releases (or explosions) may occur. Given the
unpredictable nature of hazardous materials incident, an estimate of potential losses was not
generated.

Newton County MHMP
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Future Considerations
Additional facilities, both critical and non-critical in nature, may be affected if a hazardous
materials release were to occur along a transportation route. Carriers of hazardous materials
travel all of the state roads. As businesses and industries increase in the area, the increased use
of these routes will increase the number of transportation related incidents.
By restricting development within the known hazardous materials facility buffer zones, future
losses associated with a hazardous materials release can be reduced. Critical and essential
facilities should be especially discouraged from being located within these areas. Further, by
restricting construction in these zones, the number of potentially impacted residents may also
be reduced, lowering the risk for social losses, injuries, and potential deaths. Future construction
of hazardous materials facilities should be located away from critical and essential facilities such
as schools, medical facilities, municipal buildings, and daycares. Such construction would likely
reduce the risk to highly populated buildings and populations with physical or social, emotional,
or behavioral challenges or considerations such as children, the elderly, and medically fragile
individuals.
Many facilities constructed within close proximity to a hazardous materials facility are similar due
to local zoning ordinances. This reduces the risk and vulnerability of some populations.
However, there are several facilities and numerous transportation routes located throughout
each of the communities making current and future development at risk for losses associated
with a hazardous materials release.
Relationship to Other Hazards
Dependent on the nature of the release, conditions may exist where a fire or spark ignites a
flammable or explosive substance. As the fire spreads throughout the facility or the area,
structural or property damage will increase. If the hazardous substances are in enclosed
containers such as railroad tank cars, cylinders, other containers, or near heat generating events
such as a fire, explosion becomes a risk as well. Response times to a hazardous materials incident
may be prolonged until all necessary information is collected detailing the type and amount of
chemicals potentially involved in the incident. Depending on the nature of the incident, further
delays may take place until qualified hazardous materials responders with the appropriate
response and monitoring equipment can be transported to the incident location. While this may
increase structural losses, it may decrease social losses such as injuries or even deaths.

September 2026
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4.3

HAZARD SUMMARY

For the development of this MHMP, the committee utilized the CPRI method to prioritize the hazards
which have affected Newton County. Hazards were assigned values based on the probability or
likelihood of occurrence, the magnitude or severity of the incident, as well as warning time and
duration of the incident itself. A weighted CPRI was calculated based on the percent of the county’s
population present in the individual communities. Table 20 summarizes the CPRI values for the
various hazards studied within this MHMP and their ranking.
Table 20: Combined CPRI and Ranking for Each Hazard

Technological

Natural

Type of
Hazard

List of Hazards

Weighted Average CPRI

Ranking

Drought

2.70

Earthquake

1.45

Extreme Temperatures

3.15

Fires and Wildfire

2.90

Flood

2.04

Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and
Windstorm

2.80

Landslide, Land Subsidence,
and Fluvial Erosion

1.45

Tornado

2.75

Winter Storms and Ice

3.05

Dam and Levee Failure

1.63

Hazardous Material Incident

3.4

Newton County MHMP
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It is important to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between the hazards selected by the
committee. Table 21 can be utilized to identify those relationships. For example, a winter storm
(along the side of the table) can result in a flood (along the top of the table). In a similar fashion, a
hazardous materials incident (along the top of the table) can be caused by an earthquake; flood;
tornado; or a winter storm or ice storm (along the side of the table).

Earthquake

X

Winter Storms
and Ice

Tornado

Landslide,
Subsidence,
and FEH

Hail, Thunder,
and Wind

X

HazMat
Incident

X

Dam and
Levee Failure

Drought

Flood

Fires and
Wildfire

Earthquake

CAUSE

Drought

EFFECT

Extreme
Temperatures

Table 21: Hazard Reference Table

X

X

Extreme
Temperatures

X

Fires and
Wildfire

X

Flood
Hail,
Thunder,
and Wind

X

Landslide,
Subsidence,
and FEH
Tornado

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Winter
Storms and
Ice

X

Dam and
Levee Failure

X

HazMat
Incident

X

X

X

X

As a method of better identifying the potential relationships between hazards, the community
exhibits can be referenced to indicate the proximity of one or more known hazard areas such as the
delineated floodplains and the locations of EHS facilities. For this reason, many of the communities
in Newton County may be impacted by more than one hazard at a time, depending on certain
conditions. It can be anticipated that if a flood were to occur within these areas, there would be a
September 2026
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potentially increased risk of a facility experiencing a hazardous materials incident. These areas may
also be at greater risk of a dam or non-levee embankment failure.
Future development in areas where multiple known hazard areas (dam failure inundation areas,
floodplains and surrounding hazardous materials facilities) overlap should undergo careful design,
review, and construction protocol to reduce the risk of social, physical, and economic losses due to
a hazard incident. While it may certainly be difficult, critical and essential facilities should not be
constructed within these regions.
The ever-changing climate can also have a significant impact on these hazards. According to NCEI
the State Climate Summary for Indiana the following observations have been observed based upon
climate change:
•
•
•

The global average temperatures have risen over 1.5°F since the beginning of the 20th
Century. Temperatures in the 21st century have been higher than any other historical period
with the exception of the early 1930s Dust Bowl era
Indiana has experienced increases in the number and intensity of rain events while the
individual duration of the rain events has been decreasing
Extreme events are increasing, especially flooding
The CRS program credits NFIP communities with a maximum of 79 points for
assessing the hazards and current problems within the community: up to 35
points for assessing, describing, and mapping floods; and up to 44 points for
identifying hazards and their impacts on the community.

Newton County MHMP
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CHAPTER 5:

MITIGATION STRATEGY

This chapter identifies the overall goal for the development and implementation of the Newton
County MHMP. A summary of existing and proposed mitigation practices discussed by the
committee is also provided.

5.1

MITIGATION GOAL

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(3)(i):
[The hazard mitigation strategy shall include a] description of mitigation goals to reduce or avoid
long-term vulnerabilities to the identified hazards.
The committee reviewed the mitigation goals as outlined within the previous Newton County MHMP
and determined that the goals remain valid and effective. In summary, the overall goal of the Newton
County MHMP is to reduce the social, physical, and economic losses associated with hazard
incidents through emergency services, natural resource protection, prevention, property protection,
public information, and structural control mitigation practices. The three specific goals to achieve
the overall goal of the plan are:
1) Lessen the impacts of disasters and enhance community resilience
2) Minimize the loss of life and injuries caused by disasters
3) Promote mitigation activities both prior to and following a disaster

5.2

MITIGATION PRACTICES

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(3)(ii):
[The mitigation strategy shall include a] section that identifies and analyzed a comprehensive range
of specific mitigation actions and projects being considered to reduce the effects of each hazard,
with particular emphasis on new and existing buildings and infrastructure.
REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(3)(iii):
[The mitigation strategy section shall include] an action plan describing how the actions identified
in section (c)(3)(ii) will be prioritized, implemented, and administered by the local jurisdiction.
Prioritization shall include a special emphasis on the extent to which benefits are maximized
according to a cost benefit review of the proposed projects and their associated costs.
In 2005, the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council conducted a study about the benefits of hazard
mitigation. This study examined grants over a 10-year period (1993-2003) aimed at reducing future
damages from earthquakes, wind, and floods. It found that mitigation efforts were cost-effective at
reducing future losses; resulted in significant benefits to society; and represented significant
potential savings to the federal treasury in terms of reduced hazard-related expenditures. This study
found that every $1 spent on mitigation efforts resulted in an average of $4 savings for the
community. The study also found that FEMA mitigation grants are cost-effective since they often lead
to additional non-federally funded mitigation activities and have the greatest benefits in
communities that have institutionalized hazard mitigation programs.
A more recent (2019) study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, reviewed over 20 years of
federally funded mitigation grants, not only from FEMA but also from the US Economic
Development Administration (EDA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
September 2026
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(HUD). From this broadened review, it has been determined that for every $1 spent on mitigation
through federal grants, $6 is saved on disaster costs. In addition, it was determined that by adopting
all the building codes put forth in the 2015 International Code, $11 can be saved for every $1
invested. Lastly, by designing and construction buildings which exceed select items in the 2015
International Code, $4 can be saved for every $1 invested in those changes.
Six primary mitigation practices defined by FEMA are:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Emergency Services – measures that protect people during and after a hazard
Natural Resource Protection – opportunities to preserve and restore natural areas and their
function to reduce the impact of hazards
Prevention – measures that are designed to keep the problem from occurring or getting
worse
Property Protection – measures that are used to modify buildings subject to hazard
damage rather than to keep the hazard away
Public Information – those activities that advise property owners, potential property
owners, and visitors about the hazards, ways to protect themselves and their property from
the hazards
Structural Control – physical measures used to prevent hazards from reaching a property

EXISTING MITIGATION PRACTICES
As part of this planning effort, committee members were provided a copy of the prior MHMP’s
mitigation actions. Committee members reviewed those actions and were asked to consider any
and all other mitigation actions based on the hazards discussed in the first meeting. At the
second planning committee meeting, the committee discussed the strengths and weaknesses
of existing mitigation practices and made recommendations for improvements, as well as
suggested new practices. The committee also examined practices employed by neighboring
communities assessing the viability of those actions within Newton County. The following is a
summary of existing hazard mitigation practices within Newton County. Mitigation measures that
were included in the previous Newton County MHMP are noted as such. A list of the former
mitigation actions included in the previous MHMP and their status may be found in Appendix
11.
Emergency Services
•

•
•
•
•
•
•

The county has outdoor warning sirens which cover almost all areas where there are
concentrations of people (towns, and census designated places) and maintains them in
operational condition. The sirens are operated on and are regularly assessed using a
centralized system
Two stream gages, maps, and alerts are utilized for flood monitoring, forecasting, and
flood warnings for the various streams in the county
Newton County and the towns of Brook, Goodland, and Kentland continue to participate
in the NFIP
All Newton County townships have shelters in case of emergencies with most American
Red Cross certified
The EMA regularly researches incentives for private buildings with approved safe rooms
and provides that information to the towns
Newton County has secured shelter agreements within the county including shelters for
domestic animals
The county requires that large events receive a permit which includes an Emergency
Action Plan (EAP) to establish emergency procedures before the event occurs

Newton County MHMP
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•
•
•
•

The EMA has established a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer
program for Newton County
The Kentland and Morocco fire departments can conduct surface water, swift water, and
ice water rescues
Newton County has mutual aid for EMS, fire, and police within the county
Mobile data terminals are available and used to some degree in all EMS, fire, and police
departments within the county

Natural Resource Protection
•
•
•

The towns of Kentland and Mount Ayr participate in the Tree City USA program to
protect areas community trees, establish tree growth, and raise awareness of the
importance of trees
Newton county is a part of the Kankakee River Basin and the Yellow Basin Development
Commission which supports the county’s goal of mitigating potential flood damages
The county and the towns have IDEM WMPs that apply to their jurisdictions to assist in
protecting their watersheds. The following WMPs apply to the county: Lower Kankakee
WMP (31203) and Upper Iroquois River WMP 10-81. A breakdown of which WMPs apply
to which community can be seen in Appendix 6

Prevention
•
•

Newton County LEPC provides training regarding the proper storage, transport, and
disposal of hazardous materials
The Newton County EMA and Courthouse back up files to each other occasionally to
prevent the entire loss of files

Property Protection
•
•

Drainage system maintenance, including repair and replacement of culverts, occurs
routinely throughout the county
Newton County’s floodplain ordinance establishes measures to protect homes within
floodplains from flooding damages

Public Information
•
•
•
•
•
•

Outreach materials and hazard preparedness materials are routinely provided online,
within offices and agencies in Newton County, at large public events, speaking
opportunities within schools, etc.)
The Newton County EMA has one portable electronic messaging board which is used
to provide information to the public on current hazard information
Newton County utilizes HyperReach for mass notifications during emergencies
Newton County participates in the NWS StormReady program to better prepare the
community for extreme weather events
Newton County’s Floodplain Administrator regularly educates property owners within
flood areas about potential hazards
Emergency notifications and hazard preparedness materials have been updated to be
available in both English and Spanish

September 2026
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Structural Control
•
•

County drainage ditches are cleared and are maintained to prevent localized flooding
Newton County’s floodplain ordinance has established provisions to prevent critical and
essential Facilities from being built within floodplains

PROPOSED MITIGATION PRACTICES
After reviewing existing mitigation practices, the committee reviewed mitigation ideas for each
of the hazards studied and identified which of these they felt best met their needs as a
community according to selected social, technical, administrative, political, and legal criteria.
The following identifies the key considerations for each evaluation criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Social – mitigation projects will have community acceptance, they are compatible with
present and future community values, and do not adversely affect one segment of the
population
Technical – mitigation projects will be technically feasible, reduce losses in the longterm, and will not create more problems than they solve
Administrative – mitigation projects may require additional staff time, alternative
sources of funding, and have some maintenance requirements
Political – mitigation projects will have political and public support
Legal – mitigation projects will be implemented through the laws, ordinances, and
resolutions that are in place
Economic – mitigation projects can be funded in current or upcoming budget cycles
Environmental – mitigation projects may have negative consequences on
environmental assets such as wetlands, threatened or endangered species, or other
protected natural resources

Table 22 lists a summary of all proposed mitigation practices identified for all hazards, as well
as information on the local status, local priority, benefit-cost ratio, project location, and
responsible entities. Because of the large number of funding opportunities, a list of potential
funding sources can be found in Appendix 12. The proposed mitigation practices were
assigned a priority by the planning team. Projects identified to be of “high” local priority may be
implemented within five years from final plan adoption. Projects identified to be of “moderate”
local priority may be implemented within five-ten years from final plan adoption, and projects
identified by the committee to be of “low” local priority may be implemented within 10+ years
from final plan adoption. However, depending on availability of funding, some proposed
mitigation projects may take longer to implement.
As part of the process to identify potential mitigation projects, the planning committee weighed
the benefit derived from each mitigation practice against the estimated cost of that practice. This
basic benefit-cost ratio was based on experience and professional judgement and was utilized
to identify the mitigation practices as having a high, moderate, or low benefit-cost ratio.
Preparing detailed benefit-cost ratios was beyond the scope of this planning effort and the intent
of the MHMP.
The update of this MHMP is a necessary step of a multi-step process to implement programs,
policies, and projects to mitigate the effect of hazards in Newton County. The intent of this
planning effort was to identify the hazards and the extent to which they affect the county and to
determine what type of mitigation strategies or practices may be undertaken to mitigate these
hazards. A FEMA-approved MHMP is required to apply for and receive project grants under
BRIC, HMGP, and FMA. Although this MHMP meets the requirements of DMA 2000 and

Newton County MHMP
Page 85

eligibility requirements of these grant programs additional detailed studies may need to be
completed prior to applying for these grants. Chapter 6 of this plan includes an implementation
plan for all high priority mitigation practices identified by the committee.
The CRS program credits NFIP communities a maximum of 97 points for
setting goals, reviewing possible activities, and drafting an action plan: up to
two points for setting goals; up to 35 points for identifying mitigation projects
that include activities for prevention, floodplain management regulatory,
current, and future conditions, property protection, natural resource
protection, emergency services, structural control projects, and public information; and up to
60 points for drafting an action plan for with recommendations of activities for five of the six
mitigation project categories.

September 2026
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Table 22: Proposed Mitigation Measures
Mitigation Practice

Prior
Plan or
New

Mitigation Strategy

Hazard Addressed

Proposed Enhancements / Status

Earthquake; Fires and Wildfire; Flood;
Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm;
Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial
Erosion; Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice;
Dam Failure, and Hazardous Material
Incidents

Newton County has decided not to fully switch to an
emergency mass notification system

Priority

BenefitCost Ratio

Potential Primary
Funding Source

High to
Moderate

NGWSGP

EMA

HSGP

Newton County 911

CHP

EMA

SVPP

School Administration

Responsible Entity

Emergency Preparedness and Warning
1.

Improve and maintain warning
capabilities within Newton County

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

High

Investigate funding for repairs and maintenance for
existing outdoor warning sirens
Investigate sources of weather radios for use by
residents and critical and essential facilities

2.

3.

Enhance police and security abilities at
large employers, public facilities, and
schools

Improve disaster preparedness and
emergency response at the local level
through the CERT or similar program

Prior

Prior

Earthquake; Fires and Wildfire; Flood;
Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm;
Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial
Erosion; Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice;
Dam Failure, and Hazardous Material
Incidents

Explore hiring school resource officers

All Hazards

The EMA has CERT volunteers within the county.
Expand CERT volunteers to cover all jurisdictions
(especially Goodland and Mount Ayr)

High

Add testing government panic buttons to the
maintenance schedule for large employers, public
facilities, and schools

Public facility owners
Moderate

HSGP

EMA

Local Funding

Towns of Goodland and Mount Ayr

HSGP

EMA

Local Funding

Town Council

EQIP Assistance

EMA

Local Funding

SWCD

HSGP

EMA

Explore CERT classes for the Newton County
residents
4.

Explore safety mechanisms for large
events and gatherings

New

All Hazards

Explore requiring a permit with an EAP for large
events held within the towns

Moderate

Develop a listing of large events within each
community
5.

6.

Explore the use of cover crops and
windbreaks for preventing dust storms

Purchase mobile message boards to
provide current hazard information

New

Prior

Drought and Flood

All Hazards

Investigate the use of cover crops as a preventative
measure for drought and flood mitigation

Purchase one additional message board for use in
Newton County

Moderate

Low

HSIP
7.

Coordinate with private building
owners utilizing large dynamic message
boards for business to use during
hazard events

Prior

All Hazards

Contact and inventory large dynamic message
boards in the county

Low

Local Funding

EMA

8.

Investigate and propose an ordinance
to require developers to pay to install
additional outdoor warning sirens for
new developments or pay into siren
fund as part of new developments

Prior

Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm;
Tornado

Explore for commercial businesses, large residential
developments, and large industrial developments

Low

Local Funding

EMA
County Commissioners

Newton County MHMP
Page 87

Mitigation Practice

Prior
Plan or
New

Mitigation Strategy

Hazard Addressed

Priority

BenefitCost Ratio

Potential Primary
Funding Source

Explore additional personnel, such as LEPC
members, for post-event documentation to reduce
burden on EMA

High

High

Local Funding

Explore and prioritize contractual agreements
between communities and other counties

High

Proposed Enhancements / Status

Responsible Entity

Emergency Response and Recovery
1.

2.

Coordinate communications,
documentation, and record keeping
between communities and agencies
including a database of accurate and
community specific information
following each hazard event

Prior

Investigate reciprocal agreements
between neighboring
communities/counties for structural
inspections following hazardous events

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

All Hazards

Earthquake, Fires and Wildfire; Flood;
Hailstorm, Thunderstorm, and Windstorm;
Landslide, Land Subsidence, and Fluvial
Erosion; Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice;
Dam Failure; Hazardous Material Incidents

EMA
LEPC

Local Funding

EMA
County Commissioners
Town Councils
Building Departments

3.

Establish evacuation procedures for
populations in known hazard areas

Prior

Dam failure; Flood; Hazardous Material
Incidents

Develop evacuation plans for dam failure, flood, and
hazardous material incidents

High –
Flood and
HazMat

EMPG

EMA

Local Funding

County Highway

Moderate
– Dams
4.

5.

6.

Regularly inventory equipment needs
for mobile data terminals and upgrades
in response vehicles

Prior

Explore the creation of a Newton
County Continuity of Government
(COG)/Continuity of Operations Plan
(COOP) plan

New

Investigate records backup methods
within each community

Prior

All Hazards

All Hazards

Investigate EMA, EMS, fire, and police departments
needs and prioritize based on needs

Investigate funding sources for the creation of the
plan(s)

Moderate

Moderate

Town Street Departments
HSGP

EMA

DOJ COPS Office
Grant

EMS, Fire, and Police Departments

EMPG

EMA

SHSGP

All Hazards

Identify potential improvements/updates to backup
procedures at each community

Moderate

Local Funding

EMA
County and Town IT Departments

7.

8.

Establish a Newton County water
rescue team for diving, swift water, and
water rescues

Prior

Explore post disaster community
support functions such as an
Emergency Support Function (ESF) or a
Community Organizations Active in
Disaster (COAD) program

New

September 2026
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Flood; Winter Storms and Ice

Winter Storm and Ice

Explore funding sources for county water rescue
team

Identify if an ESF or a COAD is more appropriate for
the county. If pursuing an ESF, identify potential
people for volunteer position. If pursuing a COAD,
identify whether to join a nearby established COAD,
or to create a Newton County specific COAD

Low

Low

AFG

EMA

SHSP

EMS, Fire, and Police Departments

Local Funding

EMA

Mitigation Practice
9.

Inventory and assess EOC phone
system and technology capabilities

Prior
Plan or
New
New

Mitigation Strategy

Hazard Addressed
All Hazards

Proposed Enhancements / Status
Identify EOC equipment needs and prioritize based
on cost and importance

Priority

BenefitCost Ratio

Low

Potential Primary
Funding Source

Responsible Entity

EOCGP

EMA

EMPG

County IT Department

Local Funding

County Building Department

Land Use and Zoning
1.

Incorporate hazard information, risk
assessment, and hazard mitigation
practices into the Comprehensive Land
Use Plan and Development Review to
better guide future growth and
development

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

All Hazards

Identify other community plans to include hazard
information, risk assessment, and mitigation practices

High

Moderate

County Commissioners
Town Councils
EMA

Power Back-up Generators
1.

2.

Inventory, prioritize, and retrofit public
facilities and critical and essential
facilities with appropriate wiring and
electrical capabilities for utilizing a
large generator for power back-up

Prior

Secure a fuel reserve, or ensure
contractual emergency provisions so
critical and essential facilities may run
on power backup for extended periods
of time

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Earthquake; Extreme Temperatures; Fires
and Wildfire; Flood; Hailstorm,
Thunderstorm, and Windstorm; Landslide,
Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion;
Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice; Dam
Failure; Hazardous Material Incidents

Investigate generator capabilities and needs within
each community and prioritize needs for future
purchases

Earthquake; Extreme Temperatures; Fires
and Wildfire; Flood; Hailstorm,
Thunderstorm, and Windstorm; Landslide,
Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion;
Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice; Dam
Failure; Hazardous Material Incidents

Explore primary and secondary fuel suppliers to
promote resilience

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Earthquake; Extreme Temperatures; Fires
and Wildfire; Flood; Hailstorm,
Thunderstorm, and Windstorm; Landslide,
Land Subsidence, and Fluvial Erosion;
Tornado; Winter Storms and Ice; Dam
Failure; Hazardous Material Incidents

Investigate the current capabilities of Newton County
schools and prioritize locations

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Flood

Estimated CRS level 9 savings as January 2026,
would be $2K for Newton County, $443 for the town
of Brooke, $44 for the town of Goodland, and $395
for the town of Kentland

Moderate

Moderate

HMGP

EMA

BRIC

Critical and Essential Facility owners

Local Funding

EMA

Explore requiring power back-up generators in all
critical and essential facilities
Low

Critical and Essential Facility owners
Fuel Co-Op

Safe Rooms and Community Shelters
1.

Explore utilizing Newton County
schools as shelters

New

High

Moderate

HMGP

EMA

BRIC

Newton County Schools
Administration

BRIC

Floodplain Administrators of Newton
County, Brook, Goodland, and
Kentland

CRS
1.

Investigate potential to reduce flood
insurance premiums through
participation in the NFIP’s CRS Program

Prior

Moderate

High

FMA

EMA

Newton County MHMP
Page 89

Mitigation Practice

Prior
Plan or
New

Mitigation Strategy

Hazard Addressed

Proposed Enhancements / Status

Priority

BenefitCost Ratio

Potential Primary
Funding Source

Low

Moderate

FMA

Responsible Entity

Flood Studies and Protection
1.

2.

Conduct detailed flood protection
studies for problem areas or areas with
repetitive flooding problems

Prior

Identify and protect existing critical and
essential facilities within SFHA

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Flood

Identify areas in Newton County with problems and
repetitive flooding

Newton County Floodplain
Administrators

BRIC
EMA
Flood

Explore relocating critical and essential facilities
within the flood section of this plan to outside of the
SFHA

Low

HMGP

Newton County Floodplain
Administrators

BRIC
EMA

Transportation
1.

Complete transportation survey to
determine typical types and quantities
of chemicals being transported
throughout Newton County

Prior

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Hazardous Material Incidents

Emergency Services
Nat. Res. Protection
Prevention
Property Protection
Public Information
Structural Control

Drought

Identify roadways to study in addition to Interstate 65

Low

Moderate
to High

HMEP

Newton County Highway Department

EMPG

EMA

Local Funding

Newton County Council and
Commissioners

Water Management
1.

Explore measures to prevent and
reduce water intensive industry
through water conservation ordinances
or contingency plans to implement
during water shortages

Prior

Identify template ordinances for preventing and
reducing water intensive industry in Newton County

High

Moderate
to High

Newton County Town
Boards/Councils
EMA

September 2026
Page 90

CHAPTER 6:

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The following is a proposed plan for implementing all high priority mitigation practices identified in
this plan. It should be noted that implementation of each of these proposed practices may involve
several preparatory or intermediary steps. However, to maintain clarity, not all preparatory or
intermediary steps are included.

6.1

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND WARNING

Improve and maintain warning capabilities within Newton County. Newton County has decided not
to fully switch to an emergency mass notification system. Investigate funding for repairs and
maintenance for existing outdoor warning sirens. Investigate sources of weather radios for use by
residents and critical and essential facilities.
•
•
•

Review and apply for funding measures for outdoor warning sirens and weather radios
Identify potential locations for outdoor warning sirens and prioritize based on potential
population serviced
Create a prioritized list for weather radio distribution to residents and critical and essential
facilities

Enhance police and security abilities at large employers, public facilities, and schools. Explore hiring
school resource officers. Add testing government panic buttons to the maintenance schedule for
large employers, public facilities, and schools.
•
•
•

6.2

Identify potential funding sources for school security cameras and school resource officers
Prioritize camera and resource officer’s placements through student and faculty numbers
Contact Newton County 911, public facility, and school maintenance department(s) to
establish communication for testing panic buttons

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Coordinate communications, documentation, and record keeping between communities and
agencies including a database of accurate and community specific information following each
hazard event. Explore additional personnel, such as LEPC members, for post-event documentation
to reduce burden on EMA.
•
•
•

Identify potential personnel for post event documentation
Train additional personnel in consistent documentation procedures
Regularly identify potential improvements to communication, documentation, and record
keeping and implement changes

Investigate reciprocal agreements between neighboring communities/counties for structural
inspections following hazardous events. Explore and prioritize contractual agreements between
communities and other counties.
•
•
•

Identify current oral agreements between neighboring communities/counties
Prioritize written agreements with entities based on personnel/volunteer size
Begin establishing agreements for reciprocal after action inspections

Newton County MHMP
Page 91

Establish evacuation procedures for populations in known hazard areas. Develop evacuation plans
for dam failure, flood, and hazardous material incidents.
•
•
•

6.3

Identify potential funding sources for the development of evacuation procedures
Identify key areas where flood and hazardous materials events could isolate residents to
incorporate into plan
Identify safe evacuation routes for residents utilizing mapped shelters

LAND USE AND ZONING

Incorporate hazard information, risk assessment, and hazard mitigation practices into the
Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Development Review to better guide future growth and
development. Identify other community plans to include hazard information, risk assessment, and
mitigation practices.
•
•
•

6.4

Identify potential funding sources for the development of a Newton County Comprehensive
Land Use Plan and Development Review
Attend planning meetings and contact plan leadership to include hazard information
Develop a list of plans to incorporate hazard information into and contact project leadership

SAFE ROOMS AND COMMUNITY SHELTERS

Explore utilizing Newton County schools as shelters. Investigate the current capabilities of Newton
County schools and prioritize locations.
•
•
•

6.5

Contact Newton County school leadership and discuss utilizing the schools as shelters
Identify necessary upgrades to the schools to serve as community shelters
Regularly evaluate shelter locations within the county and establish new locations as needed

WATER MANAGEMENT

Explore measures to prevent/reduce water intensive industry through water conservation
ordinances or contingency plans to implement during water shortages. Identify template ordinances
for preventing and reducing water intensive industry in Newton County.
•
•
•

Contact town board/council members and county personnel to discuss necessity of a
water conservation ordinance
Adopt water conservation ordinances in all communities
Review adopted ordinances and propose changes as needed

September 2026
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CHAPTER 7:
7.1

PLAN MAINTENANCE PROCESS

MONITORING, EVALUATING, AND UPDATING THE PLAN

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(4)(i):
[The plan maintenance process shall include a] section describing the method and schedule of
monitoring, evaluating, and updating the mitigation plan within a five-year cycle.
To effectively reduce social, physical, and economic losses in Newton County, it is important that
implementation of this MHMP be monitored, evaluated, and updated. The EMA Director is ultimately
responsible for the MHMP. As illustrated in Section 5.2 Mitigation Practices, this plan contains
mitigation program, projects, and policies from multiple departments within each incorporated
community. Depending on grant opportunities and fiscal resources, mitigation practices may be
implemented independently, by individual communities, or through local partnerships. Therefore,
the successful implementation of this MHMP will require the participation and cooperation of the
entire committee to successfully monitor, evaluate, and update the Newton County MHMP.
The EMA Director will reconvene with the MHMP committee on an annual basis and following a
significant hazard incident. The team will examine each mitigation action within the plan to evaluate
its effectiveness by answering the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•

Has the nature, magnitude, or type of risk changed? If so, what new mitigation actions are
needed to address this change?
Are the current resources appropriate for implementation? If not, what additional resources
are needed to address the shortfall?
Are there implementation problems, such as technical, political, legal, or coordination issues
with other agencies? How can these issues be addressed?
Have the outcomes occurred as expected? If not, is something else needed to achieve the
desired outcome?
Have the agencies and other partners participated as originally proposed? If not, determine
why and how the action outcomes can be met.

During the annual meetings, the Implementation Checklist provided in Appendix 13 will be helpful
to track any progress, successes, and problems experienced. This will also be a tool to follow up on
the progress made and effectiveness of the planned actions.
The data used to prepare this MHMP was based on “best available data” or data that was readily
available during the development of this plan. Because of this, there are limitations to the data. As
more accurate data becomes available, updates should be made to the list of critical and essential
facilities, the risk assessment, and vulnerability analysis.
DMA 2000 requires local jurisdictions to update and resubmit their MHMP within five years (from
the date of FEMA approval) to continue to be eligible for mitigation project grant funding. In Newton
County, the EMA Director will once again reconvene the MHMP committee for a series of meetings
designed to replicate the original planning process. Information gathered following individual
hazard incidents and annual meetings will be utilized along with updated vulnerability assessments
to assess the risks associated with each hazard common in Newton County. These hazards, and
associated mitigation goals and practices will be prioritized and detailed as in Chapter 4 this MHMP.
Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 will be updated to reflect any practices implemented within the interim
as well as any additional practices discussed by the committee during the update process. The plan

Newton County MHMP
Page 93

update process will incorporate new planning guidance and best practices as planning
requirements are updated.
Prior to submission of the updated MHMP, a public meeting, such as the county commissioners’
meeting, a representative of the planning team will present information about the plan to residents
of Newton County and will provide them with an opportunity for review and comment of the draft
MHMP. A media release will be issued providing information related to the update, the planning
process, and details of the public invitation to review and comment on the plan update.

7.2

INCORPORATION INTO EXISTING PLANNING MECHANISMS

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(4)(ii):
[The plan shall include a] process by which local governments incorporate the requirements of the
mitigation plan into other planning mechanisms such as the comprehensive or capital
improvements, when appropriate.
Newton County has not recently developed any additional plans over the past five years. The
Kentland Strategic Plan, developed in 2020, included information relevant to the information
contained in the previous MHMP. The strategic plan highlights a two-stage ditch flood prevention
project which was under construction at the time this plan was developed. Further, the plan
discusses the new Kentland firehouse which has improved response times and allows the station to
manage more fire calls.
The goals of the Newton County plan included strategic economic growth, addressing child/senior
issues, and wellness issues. This plan aims to mitigate all potential hazards and in turn create a
resilient community which can help protect the county in regard to their goals.
Many of the mitigation practices identified as part of this planning process are ongoing with some
enhancement needed. Where needed, modifications will be proposed for each NFIP communities’
planning documents and ordinances during the regularly scheduled update including
comprehensive plans, floodplain management plans, zoning ordinances, site development
regulations, and permits. Modifications include discussions related to hazardous material facility
buffers, floodplain areas, and discouraging development of new critical and essential facilities and
infrastructure in known hazard areas.
The MHMP will be used to update stormwater, subdivision and zoning ordinances based upon
recommendations from the plan. For example, information in this plan provides documentation to
encourage local officials to make changes to reduce release rates, protect floodplains, provide no
net loss in SFHA areas, and manage erosion and sediment control. These measures would help
mitigate flooding. Recommendations within this plan could initiate new ordinances or studies, such
as flood studies, flood response studies, and watershed management studies to protect against
floods. The information included in this plan can be helpful in preparing comprehensive plans,
transportation plans, and emergency plans to mitigate hazard material impacts and response to
hazards such as tornados. These plans also illustrate the importance of planning on the unserved
populations and how to develop mitigation efforts that include them in future plans.
In Newton County this is a similarly timed process. As the county embarks upon their ordinance
updates, information is shared with the towns and the incorporated communities. Each community
then evaluates the materials provided by the county and will seek adoption or incorporation on a
similar schedule. This process has worked well in the past and is the anticipated method of future
incorporation of materials into plan and ordinance updates. In a similar fashion the updating of
comprehensive community plan, park plans, will be able to incorporate at risk population
September 2026
Page 94

information as well as mitigation action opportunities. Table 23 is an example of the process the
communities use to incorporate planning elements into other community plans and ordinances.
Table 23: MHMP Incorporation Process
Step

Description of Process Action

1

Adopt MHMP at Commissioner meeting or Town Council meeting
Identify document update cycles for each of the following:

2

3
4
5

7.3

a)
Comprehensive Plan
b)
Capital Improvement Plan
c)
Zoning Ordinances
d)
Floodplain Ordinance
e)
Stormwater Plans
f)
Other plans not listed above
Present applicable data to the planning team and team leads for
inclusion
Highlight applicable mitigation actions to be included in the plan
Assist with incorporation and adoption of the plans, as needed.

CONTINUED PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

REQUIREMENT §201.6(c)(4)(iii):
[The plan maintenance process shall include a] discussion on how the community will continue
public participation in the plan maintenance process.
Continued public involvement is critical to the successful implementation of the Newton County
MHMP. Comments gathered from the public on the MHMP will be received by the EMA Director and
forwarded to the MHMP committee for discussion. Education efforts for hazard mitigation will be the
focus of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week as well as incorporated into existing
stormwater planning, land use planning, and special projects/studies efforts. Once adopted, a copy
of this plan will be available for the public to review in the EMA Office and the Newton County
website. Periodic reminder notices will be placed on social media to continue to solicit feedback
and input on changes for the future plans.
Updates or modifications to the Newton County MHMP require public notice, reconvening the
planning committee in accordance with FEMA local mitigation planning guidance and meeting with
the incorporated community leaders prior to submitting revisions to the individual jurisdictions for
approval and re-adoption.
The CRS program credits NFIP communities a maximum of 28 points: up to two
points for adopting the plan; and up to 26 for establishing a procedure for
implementation, review, and updating the plan; and submitting an annual
evaluation report.

Newton County MHMP
Page 95

September 2026
Page 96

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