HIRA First 100
- Thomas Breckel
- 1 hour ago
- 9 min read
For those first 100 that were quick on the draw, here are the initial results...
This section summarizes early results from the Clinton County Public Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) Survey using the first 100 resident responses. Results are grouped by “What area do you live in?” and ranked from highest to lowest preparedness using the power outage endurance question as the primary indicator. Each jurisdiction profile highlights the most common hazard concerns, the most common disruption fears, and the Community Lifelines residents prioritized most. These results should be treated as directional and planning-grade, especially for jurisdictions with small response counts, and will continue to be updated as additional survey responses are received.
Washington Twp.
(Responses=2)
Washington Township, you are quietly built different. A full 100% of respondents reported they could handle a power outage for 7+ days, with 0% at ≤24 hours and 0% at 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which means you’re not ignoring reality—you’re just better prepared for it. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which is exactly the right way to think about Ohio emergencies. Your most prioritized Lifeline was Safety and Security, which suggests people still want responders stable even if they can self-sustain. The good: your endurance is outstanding. The bad: your sample size is small, so this could shift as more people respond. The ugly: if the township’s weakest households aren’t taking the survey, your real vulnerability could be hidden.
Jefferson Twp.
(Responses=4)
Jefferson Township, you’re showing strong “country tough” resilience. 75% reported 7+ days of endurance, 25% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which tracks perfectly with county reality. Your top fears were losing power and tornado damage to homes, meaning you’re thinking both about systems and physical damage. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security, which is a public confidence signal. The good: you have one of the strongest endurance profiles in the county. The bad: a quarter of households are still in the “fast trouble” category. The ugly: if those households lose power in a cold snap, they’ll need help quickly.
Outside Clinton County (Highland County area)
(Responses=3)
Highland County border folks, you’re showing serious self-reliance. 67% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which means you’re aligned with the same weather threats Clinton County faces. Your top fears were losing power and not having enough drinking water, which is a classic rural vulnerability mix. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security, which says you still want help available even if you can manage on your own. The good: endurance is strong. The bad: small sample size means this could swing. The ugly: border residents may not always receive Clinton County messaging, which can become a problem in fast-moving events.
Clark Twp.
(Responses=2)
Clark Township, you’re balanced and surprisingly steady. 50% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days, with the other half landing in 3–7 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, showing a clear grasp of local threats. Your top fears were losing power and cell/internet outages, which suggests a strong dependence on communications during emergencies. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: nobody reported being in the immediate danger zone. The bad: communications disruption is a top anxiety driver. The ugly: if cell service fails during a wind event, people will feel cut off fast even if they have supplies.
Union Twp.
(Responses=6)
Union Township, you’re a split personality in the best and worst ways. 50% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 50% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which are the county’s main threats. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which is the correct “what kills first” mindset. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: half the respondents can ride out a week-plus outage. The bad: the other half runs out of runway in under three days. The ugly: in a real long-duration outage, this township will experience a sharp divide between households that can self-sustain and households that will need support early.
Village of Clarksville
(Responses=2)
Clarksville, you’re small but you’re sending a clear signal. 50% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 50% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent with the rest of the county. Your top fears were losing power and not having enough drinking water, which suggests a real concern about basic services. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: half the respondents have strong endurance. The bad: half are still on a 72-hour cliff. The ugly: a water service disruption layered on top of a power outage would hit Clarksville hard, fast.
Marion Twp.
(Responses=5)
Marion Township, you look like a community that’s preparing—but not evenly. 40% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 20% reported 1–3 days, with another 40% in the 3–7 day range. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, showing strong alignment with local risk. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which points straight to cold-weather survivability. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: nobody reported immediate “same-day failure.” The bad: a chunk of households are still 1–3 days away from needing help. The ugly: Marion will look fine on Day 1 and Day 2, then start struggling if restoration takes longer.
Village of Blanchester
(Responses=5)
Blanchester, you’re showing moderate resilience with some hidden fragility. 40% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 40% reported 1–3 days, with 20% in 3–7 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent with county reality. Your top fears were losing power and cell/internet outages, which suggests a strong dependence on communications and utilities. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: a solid chunk can handle long outages. The bad: a nearly equal chunk hits trouble inside three days. The ugly: if a storm knocks out power and communications at the same time, public anxiety and demand for help will spike quickly.
Village of Sabina
(Responses=6)
Sabina, you’re showing real vulnerability in long-duration events. 33% reported 7+ days, 17% reported ≤24 hours, and 33% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent with county patterns. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which signals strong cold-weather exposure. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: a third of respondents can self-sustain for a week or more. The bad: half of respondents are at three days or less. The ugly: Sabina could require early warming center or welfare-check messaging during a winter outage.
Green Twp.
(Responses=3)
Green Township, you are a caution sign in this early dataset. 33% reported 7+ days, 67% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is county reality. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which makes the endurance results even more concerning. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: at least one respondent has strong endurance. The bad: most respondents are in immediate trouble if the power goes out. The ugly: if this pattern holds with more responses, Green Township will be one of the fastest areas to need assistance in any prolonged outage.
City of Wilmington
(Responses=30)
Wilmington, you’re the county’s largest voice so far, and you’re giving us a very clear picture. 20% reported 7+ days, 27% reported ≤24 hours, and 30% reported 1–3 days, meaning over half of respondents are at three days or less. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which matches everyone else. Your top fears were losing power and cell/internet outages, which points to high dependence on utilities and communications. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security, showing public confidence still rests on responders. The good: a meaningful portion can still ride out a week-long outage. The bad: Wilmington has one of the largest “short runway” groups in the dataset. The ugly: in a long outage, Wilmington will generate demand for warming/cooling, water access, and information faster than most of the county.
Village of New Vienna
(Responses=6)
New Vienna, you’re showing more strain than you probably want to admit. 17% reported 7+ days, 33% reported ≤24 hours, and 50% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent. Your top fears were losing power and not having enough drinking water, which suggests a high concern about basic services. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: some households have long-duration endurance. The bad: most households are 72-hours-or-less. The ugly: if a winter outage lasts more than two days, New Vienna is likely to need support quickly.
Vernon Twp.
(Responses=8)
Vernon Township, you’re in a “middle-class preparedness” zone—better than the city, but not bulletproof. 12% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 12% reported 1–3 days, with a strong 62% in the 3–7 day range. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent with the county. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which is the right survival concern. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: almost nobody is in immediate trouble. The bad: very few are ready for a true long-duration outage. The ugly: Vernon will do okay for a few days, then become stressed if restoration drags past Day 5.
Adams Twp.
(Responses=3)
Adams Township, you’re showing solid short-term stability but weak long-term endurance. 0% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 33% reported 1–3 days, with 67% in the 3–7 day range. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, as expected. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, pointing to winter survivability concerns. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: nobody reported being in immediate crisis. The bad: nobody reported being ready for a week-plus outage. The ugly: if a major winter event causes multi-week disruption, Adams Township will be more vulnerable than people expect.
Wilson Twp.
(Responses=3)
Wilson Township, you look steady for the first week and then shaky after that. 0% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 33% reported 1–3 days, with 67% in the 3–7 day range. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which matches county patterns. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: nobody is in the “same-day failure” category. The bad: no one is reporting true long-duration endurance. The ugly: Wilson will hold together early, but a prolonged outage will create rising demand for help as the days stack up.
Chester Twp.
(Responses=6)
Chester Township, you’re one of the clearest “split risk” areas in the dataset. 0% reported 7+ days, 50% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days, with 50% in 3–7 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which makes the ≤24-hour number stand out. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: half of respondents can handle almost a week. The bad: the other half can’t make it past a day. The ugly: if this holds as more responses come in, Chester may be one of the fastest areas to require welfare checks and support in any winter outage.
Richland Twp.
(Responses=4)
Richland Township, you’re showing more fragility than your geography might suggest. 0% reported 7+ days, 25% reported ≤24 hours, and 25% reported 1–3 days, with 25% in 3–7 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, as expected. Your top fears were losing power and not having enough drinking water, which hints at concern over basic service disruptions. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: some households can still manage for several days. The bad: nobody reported week-plus endurance. The ugly: if a power outage hits during extreme cold, Richland will likely need early assistance.
Liberty Twp.
(Responses=1)
Liberty Township, you’re currently a single data point, but it’s still a signal. 0% reported 7+ days, 0% reported ≤24 hours, and 100% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which is consistent with the county. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which is the standard Ohio winter reality. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: this response reflects practical awareness. The bad: the endurance window is short. The ugly: with only one response, Liberty could end up looking very different once more people weigh in.
Outside Clinton County (Brown County area)
(Responses=1)
Brown County border respondent, you are currently a single datapoint and a warning label. 0% reported 7+ days, 100% reported ≤24 hours, and 0% reported 1–3 days. Your top hazards were Severe storms/tornado and Winter storms, which matches the region. Your top fears were losing power and losing heat in winter, which makes the short endurance even more concerning. Your top Lifeline priority was Safety and Security. The good: you’re participating, which matters. The bad: this response suggests immediate vulnerability in outages. The ugly: if more border residents match this pattern, the “county line” won’t stop the demand for help.