Hazard Mitigation & Resilience Plan Update
2026 Update
The Hazard Mitigation & Resilience Plan forms the foundation for Wicomico County and its municipality’s long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. The purpose of this plan is to identify, plan, and implement cost-effective hazard mitigation measures through a comprehensive approach known as hazard mitigation planning. The 2027 plan is an update to the 2022 Wicomico County Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires hazard mitigation plans to be updated every five years.
The 2022 Wicomico County Hazard Mitigation & Resilience Plan is available for review.
Every 5 years, the Hazard Mitigation & Resilience Plan goes through a review process with those who live and/or work in Wicomico County. We anticipate forming a committee in mid-2025.
If you are interested in serving on the Hazard Mitigation & Resilience Planning Committee, please contact the Wicomico County Department of Emergency Services at 410-548-4820 or wcesalert@wicomicocounty.org.
Get Involved
Wicomico County Preparedness Survey
As we prepare for Hurricane Season, we need to know how better to serve you. You can click on the link below or copy and paste the URL or use your phone's camera to follow the QR code to our Preparedness Survey.
We encourage you to share so we can get as many of our Wicomico neighbors to answer the survey.
If you would like to share any additional thoughts on preparedness, please send an email to wcesalert@wicomicocounty.org.
Thank you!
Kickoff Meetings
Stakeholder - January 2026
LEPC Meeting - January 2026
Click below for meeting notes.
Capabilities Meeting
TBD
Click below for meeting notes.
Mitigation Strategy Meeting
TBD
Click below for meeting notes.
Explore Wicomico County's Hazard Profiles
Wicomico County faces a range of natural hazards, from tropical storms and flooding to extreme temperatures, severe winter weather, wildfire, and dam failure. The hazard profiles below provide a visual overview of the primary risks addressed through local hazard mitigation planning.
Tropical Storms
Tropical systems can bring heavy rain, high winds, tornadoes, and storm surge.
Severe Winter Weather
Snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, strong winds, and extreme cold can disrupt daily life.
Extreme Temperatures
Periods of excessive heat or extreme cold can affect health, infrastructure, and energy systems.
Drought
Prolonged dry conditions can impact water supplies, agriculture, ecosystems, and wildfire risk.
Flooding
Riverine, flash, tidal, and nuisance flooding can affect homes, roads, and critical infrastructure.
Wildfire
Wildfires can threaten forests, neighborhoods, infrastructure, and public safety.
Soil Movement
Landslides, sinkholes, and coastal erosion can damage property, roads, and natural systems.
Earthquake
Ground shaking from seismic activity can affect buildings, utilities, and critical facilities.
Thunderstorms
Severe storms can produce lightning, hail, damaging winds, and localized heavy rain.
Dam Failure
The failure of a dam can cause downstream flooding and significant property damage.
Understanding these hazards is the first step toward building stronger, safer communities.
Together, we can reduce risk and prepare for the future.
Tornado
Violent rotating winds can cause severe damage to buildings, trees, and infrastructure.
Coastal Risk Connection
Coastal impacts appear across several hazard profiles, including storm surge, tidal flooding, nor'easters, and shoreline erosion.
In addition to the State's natural hazard groupings, Wicomico County may evaluate other locally relevant hazards and threats through the 2027 planning process, including cybersecurity, hazardous materials, transportation incidents, active assailant/public safety threats, pandemic and emerging infectious disease, utility disruption, and other community-identified concerns.
Tropical Systems
Prevention & Adaptation
Strategies to mitigate or reduce specific hazard risks are developed during the hazard mitigation plan update process and may vary from very simple to complex. Typically hazard mitigation strategies are classified into six broad categories. Below are the six (6) categories used for hazard prevention and adaptation.
Prevention
Government administrative or regulatory actions or processes that influence the way land and buildings are developed and built. These actions also include public activities to reduce hazard losses. Examples include planning and zoning, building codes, capital improvement programs, open space preservation, and storm water management regulations.
Protection
Actions that involve the modification of existing critical and public facilities, buildings, structures, and public infrastructure to protect them from hazards. Examples include acquisition, elevation, relocation, structural retrofits, storm shutters, and infrastructure modification.
Natural Resources
Actions that, in addition to minimizing hazard losses also preserve or restore the functions of natural protection systems. These actions include sediment and erosion control, stream corridor restoration, watershed management, forest and vegetation management, and wetland restoration preservation.
Emergency Services
Actions that protect people and property during and immediately after a disaster or hazard event. Services include warning systems and emergency response services.
Awareness
Actions to inform and educate citizens, elected officials, and property owners about potential ways to mitigate for hazards that can occur in the County. Such actions include outreach programs, projects, real estate disclosure, hazard information centers, and school-age and adult education programs.
Structral Projects
Actions that involve the construction of structures to reduce the impact of a hazard event. Such structures include dams, levees, floodwalls, seawalls, retaining walls, barrier islands, and safe rooms.
Additional Resources
Your input is welcomed and valued.
Provide your information to the right to get involved.
Wicomico County Department of Emergency Services Website
The Department of Emergency Services website provides an abundance of information on emergency preparedness topics such as:
Find out how to register to get emergency notifications sent to a cell phone.
Gain access to information on a wide variety of emergency preparedness topics.
Fill out and submit the survey so the department is aware of any special needs you may have during an emergency.
Check out some insurance resources for when a disaster strikes.
Know where the available shelters are in your area.
Obtain emergency preparedness information in Spanish and other languages.
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FLOOD INSURANCE FAQs- Preguntas frecuentes sobre el seguro contra inundaciones
Know Your Flood Risk
To determine if your property is at risk, please visit Wicomico County's Department of Planning and Zoning:
125 N. Division St.
Room 201
P.O. Box 870
Salisbury, MD 21803
Phone : 410-548-4860
For the website, click here:
If individual assistance is needed, please contact:
Phone: 410-548-4860
Email: planning@wicomicocounty.org.
For additional information and resources, visit Wicomico County's Planning and Zoning Floodplain website here.
Know your property’s flood risk. To find your community’s flood map, visit the Flood Risk Applications (below) and search using your property’s address.
Take steps to protect your home, family, and financial security throughout the year, and take extra precautions when flooding is predicted in your area.
The best way to protect your home and belongings from flood damage is to purchase flood insurance – don’t let your hard work be washed away.
Here are a few steps you and your family can take to be ready for flooding:
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Get flood insurance.
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Know your flood risk.
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Take a household inventory.
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Store important documents.
What to do Before a Flood
Additional Ways to Protect Your Home
Protecting Manufactured Homes from Floods and Other Hazards
Resources for policyholders living in manufactured (mobile) home
Protecting Building Utilities from Flood Damage
Information on protecting critical utilities, like water heaters and HVAC systems, from flood damage.
Reducing Flood Risk to Residential Buildings that Cannot be Elevated
Mitigation options for homes that cannot be elevated.