Jefferson County emergency-management staff provided a detailed update on storm response, damage assessments and disaster coordination at the May 1 commission meeting.

Staff reported a preliminary count of 42 primary residences assessed for storm damage. Of those, meeting remarks said 25 sustained major damage to living space, 10 sustained minor damage and eight were classified as “affected.” The transcript indicates three of the damaged properties were rental units. Officials described two properties as completely destroyed and gave specific local examples of houses flooded above the first floor.

Staff said these figures are preliminary; they emphasized that only damage to primary residences counts toward state and federal public-assistance thresholds. The transcript records an estimate that the county needed $154,000 in eligible damages to reach the public-assistance threshold; officials said they have not yet received a final update on where the county’s total stands relative to that threshold. The meeting also referenced a higher damage total reported by another county (transcript contains a large numeric figure for that county which may reflect a transcription error) and urged that engineers and assessors will provide more accurate pricing as reviews continue.

Emergency management staff reported distribution of protective equipment and supplies to affected residents, and provided quantities discussed at the meeting: about 18,000 masks were passed out, and staff referenced roughly 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and multiple boxes of gloves (figures stated in the meeting). The transcript contains several numeric descriptions that differed in wording during the remarks; staff indicated supplies remain available for residents who need them.

Officials also described cyber-incident preparedness work: staff attended a hands-on cyber simulation with partners and received a CyberTrack assessment from a collaboration identified in the meeting as being done by IU and Purdue. The county said it plans to implement a cyber policy for dispatch and will invite insurance representatives and an IT vendor (Ovation, referenced in the meeting) to discuss insurance coverage and IT protections together.

Public works staff briefed the commission on road repairs and slide locations: multiple slide areas were identified (several in the Brooksburg area, two on Brushy Fork off Scotts Ridge, one at Dugan Hollow, and a damaged retaining-block installation on Wolf Run near a private driveway). Public-works remarks described completed ditching and milling on one project and expected paving to begin soon; the department also plans a countywide mowing sweep and additional ditching using a newly mounted rotary ditcher to speed repairs.

No formal declaration or federal aid was recorded as approved at the meeting; staff said they are awaiting final damage estimates and possible state action.