The Lycoming County Department of Planning and Community Development updates the Lycoming County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) every five years, as required by federal law. The 2026 planning process to update the plan is underway!
Public Survey
We need your input! Participate in the plan update process today by taking the community survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Lycoming2026HMP
Municipal Forms
Click each form name to open an online form you can submit.
- Hazard Risk and Asset Evaluation: Provide information on risks impacting your community and assets you have.
- Community Capabilities: Provide information on capabilities your community has to reduce hazard risk.
- Mitigation Strategy: Provide information on mitigation actions from the 2020 HMP and submit additional actions your community wants to take on for the 2026 HMP.
General Stakeholder Form
We encourage your organization / agency / business to participate in the HMP update. The following form provides a centralized place to provide us information related to your risks and assets, vulnerable populations you interface with, capabilities to reduce risk, and potential mitigation actions you’d like to partner on.
Online form
Listed below are important dates for the Hazard Mitigation Plan update:
| Date |
Meeting |
| March 24 and March 25, 2025 |
Kick-off Meeting |
| May 2025 |
Risk Assessment Meeting |
| July 2025 |
Capability Assessment and Mitigation Strategy Workshop |
| July 2025 |
Public Open House |
| November 2025 |
Draft Plan Review |
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They are plans that:
- Help raise awareness of both natural and human-made hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities by identifying and analyzing them.
- Identify ways to reduce risk and focus local resources through a mitigation strategy.
- Communicate local priorities to state and federal officials.
The County’s HMP will identify and update information about the County’s hazard risks to natural and human-made hazards. The plan will also identify the people and facilities at risk and ways to prevent and minimize damage.
The HMP will be updated to:
- Meet requirements set forth by FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).
- Make the County, municipalities, and other agencies or organizations (stakeholders) eligible for funding and technical assistance from state and federal hazard mitigation programs.
- When a federal or state disaster is declared, only counties, jurisdictions and stakeholders that have adopted and active HMPs are eligible for funding.
This Hazard Mitigation Plan Update was developed for the purpose of:
- Protecting life, safety, and property by reducing the potential for future damages and economic losses that result from natural hazards’;
- Qualifying for additional grant funding, in both the pre-disaster and the post-disaster environment;
- Qualifying for additional credit under the Community Ratings System (CRS);
- Speeding recovery and redevelopment following future disaster events;
- Demonstrating a firm local commitment to hazard mitigation principles; and
- Complying with both state and federal legislative requirements for local hazard mitigation plans.
- Improving community resiliency following a disaster event.
About the project:
The Lycoming County Department of Community Development and Planning is in the process of updating the Lycoming County Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). Our multi-jurisdictional HMP, which covers all 52 of our partner municipalities, must be updated every five years, and the current plan will expire in 2026. The HMP will be updated using the best and most current available information and data, updating the past risk assessment with new data and a watershed-wide approach, and evaluating and revising priorities and mitigation strategies to increase community resilience.
Objectives:
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Provide the public opportunities throughout HMP development and drafting process to provide input.
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Update the risk assessment using the most recent disaster data and information.
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Update hazard mitigation goals, objectives, and actions as they relate to reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-made hazards.
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Obtain state and federal approval of the updated plan.
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Work with communities to adopt the updated plan.
- Meet updated FEMA policy on local mitigation planning to address considerations related to vulnerable populations and climate change impacts to hazard risk.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Process Summary (Six Steps):
STEP 1: Organize Resources & Build the Planning Team Relevant studies, plans, and reports are collected along with communications resources that allow the public to be involved throughout the planning process. The Planning Team (PT) consists of local planning and emergency management staff and diverse stakeholders from government, businesses, academic institutions, adjacent counties, state agencies, and non-profit organizations.
STEP 2: Develop the Plan’s Risk Assessment Location and geographic extent of natural and human-made hazards that can affect the county along with their impacts and future probability is identified. Scientific and anecdotal evidence of past events is collected and evaluated the losses the community has sustained and hazards are ranked using a Pennsylvania's risk factor methodology.
STEP 3: Assess Capabilities Assessing local and county capabilities in emergency management, the National Flood Insurance Program, planning and regulatory authority, administrative and technical knowledge, and finances.
STEP 4: Develop the Mitigation Strategy Existing goals, objectives, and actions and are evaluated and updated as needed. The PT defines appropriate mitigation techniques, and chooses and prioritizes mitigation actions and projects in the Mitigation Action Plan.
STEP 5: Determine Plan Maintenance Process The HMP is a living document that must be reviewed, updated, and maintained annually. A schedule including responsible parties or agencies involved with monitoring, evaluating, and updating the plan during its five-year cycle is prepared. A process for integrating the updated Mitigation Strategy into existing plans and reports should be outlined and a plan for continued public outreach and participation must also be determined.
STEP 6: Obtain Mitigation Plan Approval and Adoption The draft plan is made available for public comment then submitted to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and approval. Once a Plan has been determined to meet all state and federal requirements and receives official approval from FEMA it should be adopted by all participating jurisdictions and the county.
Update Timeline
**Content will be uploaded to this section as products become available.**
Interested parties submit written comments about this plan to the following staff contact:
Hazard Reduction Planner
Mail: 48 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA 17701
Telephone: (570) 320-2133
Fax: (570) 320-2135
Email: kgreen@lyco.org
[Click to Download Plan]
Lycoming County was fortunate to secure additional funding after the adoption of the 2015 Lycoming County Hazard Mitigation Update to conduct an enhanced HAZUS analysis of the 1% annual-chance flood. This analysis estimates Lycoming County’s flood risk in three steps: first, it calculates the exposure for a selected area, next it characterizes the level or intensity of the hazard affecting the exposed area, and lastly it uses the exposed area and the hazard to calculate the potential losses in terms of economic losses, structural damage, etc.
Appendix F describes this enhanced HAZUS analysis and updated methodology. This analysis provides updated flood related loss and vulnerability information pertaining to commercial and residential structures as well as infrastructure - specifically roads and bridges.
Hazard Mitigation Planning | FEMA.gov
FEMA Region 3 - Hazard Mitigation Planning Training and Technical Assistance Modules
FEMA Region 3 - Local Hazard Mitigation Resources
Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide
Local Mitigation Planning Handbook
Mitigation Strategy Resources
FEMA - Mitigation Best Practices
FEMA – Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards
FEMA - Mitigation Planning and Grants
FEMA - Nature-Based Solutions
Mitigation Grant Resources
PEMA – Grants Management Program
FEMA – Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program
FEMA – Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
FEMA - BRIC Technical Assistance