Beltrami County Wants Public Input for Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

Beltrami County’s Office of Emergency Management is working to update its Hazard Mitigation Plan, and officials are looking for public input to share ideas on how to reduce local impacts in the future.

The Hazard Mitigation Plan assesses the natural hazards that pose risks to the county and further identifies local vulnerabilities and ways to minimize damage from future events.

“The Jun. 21, 2025 storm is fresh in everybody’s mind, so I have an inclination that severe weather and high wind events are going to be a little skewed this year,” said Chris Muller, Beltrami County Emergency Management Director. “Others that people don’t really give a lot of thought to our drought and flooding because we do experience drought and flooding sometimes within the same years. We’re seeing that whiplash back and forth, so trying to adapt to those changing impacts that we have very little control over is really what hazard mitigation planning is. We look at those hazards, and what can we do to reduce those impacts for when they do happen.”

As the county works to update the plan, it wants to hear from the public. Feedback can be provided at the county’s Emergency Management website.

When completed, the plan will be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and FEMA for approval.