PEMA has released a new edition of the Pennsylvania Hazard Mitigation Plan Standard Operating Guide (SOG)! The updated “how-to” document incorporates guidance and information on integrating historic property and cultural resource considerations into hazard mitigation planning as well as high hazard potential dams. The 2020 SOG includes updated hazard descriptions and corresponding hazard icons plus current hazard data source links, and historic properties and cultural resources preservation funding sources information.
Counties and communities can and should begin using the new SOG to guide and support mitigation planning efforts moving forward.
The 2020 SOG can be accessed and downloaded here. If you have any questions about the document please contact Ernie Szabo, State Hazard Mitigation Planner, at erszabo@pa.gov.
PEMA recently conducted the 2019 annual review of the 2018 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. Through this annual review process, it was determined that several updates should be made to the plan, such as adding an executive summary, updating information on development trends and vulnerability, and adding a new section in the Capability Assessment titled State-Level Program and Plan Integration. The full updated plan can be downloaded here. Individual chapters and appendices can be downloaded through the links below.
The 2018 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan Update has earned Approvable Pending Adoption (APA) status from FEMA Region III. Please find the approved plan here. Individual chapters and appendices can be downloaded through the links below. If you have any questions, please contact Ernie Szabo at erszabo@pa.gov or Sarah Bowen at sbowen@mbakerintl.com.
PEMA is pleased to share examples of successfully implemented natural hazard mitigation projects throughout Pennsylvania in order to assist or encourage other communities in reducing or eliminating the effects of natural disasters. Please click here to view the floodplain management and mitigation success stories web page and learn about these projects. If you have a mitigation success story to share, please do so here.
Thank you to everyone that reviewed and commented on the draft 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan Update and participated throughout the planning process. After addressing all questions and comments that we received, the plan was submitted to FEMA for review on June 29, 2018. To view the updated version of the plan that was submitted to FEMA, please click here. Individual chapters and appendices can be downloaded through the links below. If you have any questions, please contact Ernie Szabo at erszabo@pa.gov or Sarah Bowen at sbowen@mbakerintl.com.
We hope that you will join us for the Draft Plan Review Meeting to contribute to the update of the Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan. The meeting will be held at the following time and location:
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Draft Plan Review Meeting PEMA Headquarters, Room 360
1310 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110
Please note that this meeting was moved out slightly from the original schedule; there will not be any Hazard Mitigation Plan meeting on April 18th.
To RSVP for this meeting, please complete the following form.
Throughout the planning process, there will be opportunities to provide input and to review documents on our project website at: pahmp.com. We hope that you will join us on May 23rd and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact Ernie Szabo, PEMA State Hazard Mitigation Planner, at erszabo@pa.gov or (717) 651-2159, or the Consulting Project Manager Sarah Bowen at sbowen@mbakerintl.com or (215) 430-5517, if you have questions or comments.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) is hosting a series of webinars to engage members of the state’s housing, planning, and higher education communities in the 2018 update of the Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP).
The webinars will introduce attendees to hazard mitigation planning, describe the benefits of participating in the State HMP update, and discuss the many ways to get involved.
State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Universities
Tuesday, September 19th, 10:00am to 11:00am
Who should participate?
Professors and students with an interest in
Environmental studies
Earth sciences
Planning
Emergency management
Offices of Sustainability
Facilities planners
State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Planning Organizations
Tuesday, September 26th, 10:00am to 11:00am
Who should participate?
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Councils of Government
County planning directors
Community planners
Transportation planners
Environmental planners
State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Housing Agencies/Organizations
Tuesday, September 26th, 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Who should participate?
Architects and engineers
Builders
Realtors
Insurance professionals
Housing finance agencies
Housing authorities
Each of us plays an important role in making the Commonwealth a safer place. Please register below for the webinar that best represents your industry to join this critical conversation!
We hope that you will join us and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact the State Hazard Mitigation Planner Ernie Szabo at erszabo@pa.gov or (717) 651-2159, or the Consulting Project Manager Sarah Bowen at sbowen@mbakerintl.com or (215) 430-5517 if you have questions or comments.
Thank you to all who attended the Plan Integration and Capability Meeting on 8/2/2017 for the Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. Materials from can be downloaded via the links below or on the meeting materials webpage.
We have also placed the questions related to challenges and opportunities in an online survey here.
If you have additional thoughts related to the questions that we posed during the day, please take advantage of this online survey so that we can fully capture your input.
The application period for the 2017 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant programs will open on August 14, 2017. Below are several resources to assist your community with the application process:
If your community is interested in applying for FMA or PDM funding, please complete the required Letter of Interest Form.
All FMA and PDM applications are due to PEMA by 4:00pm on October 16, 2017. Please contact Ernie Szabo, PEMA State Hazard Mitigation Planner, at erszabo@pa.gov or (717) 651-2159 if you have any questions.
New hazards will be added to the 2018 Update to the Pennsylvania State Hazard Mitigation Plan. These hazards were recommended for addition in meetings held for the annual reviews of the plan and in meetings focused on updating the 2018 HMP. The new hazards include Building or Structure Collapse with a focus on infrastructure, Cyber-terrorism, and Opioid Addiction Response. Additionally, Environmental Hazards were previously covered in one profile. For the 2018 HMP Update, they will be broken out into separate profiles as follows:
Environmental Hazard – Coal Mining
Environmental Hazard – Conventional Oil and Gas Wells
Environmental Hazard – Hazardous Material Releases
Environmental Hazard – Unconventional Wells
Environmental Hazard – Gas and Liquid Pipeline
Environmental Hazards – Other
Environmental Hazard- Gas and Liquid Pipeline is a new topic for the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, while the other environmental hazards have been addressed in previous versions of the plan. We are excited to have the plan reflect the most current hazards impacting the Commonwealth. The hazard profiles will also reflect the impact of Climate Change as appropriate in the Future Conditions sub-section of each hazard profile. We welcome ideas to improve the risk assessment for existing and new hazard profiles and encourage you to contact Race Hodges at race.hodges@mbakerintl.com with data and ideas. You may also submit your ideas in the comment box below. Thanks for you input!
