The Lycoming County commissioners declared a disaster emergency for the county Thursday in anticipation of a declaration from the state, setting the county up to possibly receive disaster relief funding.

Two declarations have been made — one Thursday and the first after flooding from the week of July 21.

Without the declaration, it will be more difficult, if not impossible, to secure financial aid from the state or federal emergency management agencies, said Commissioner Rick Mirabito.

The county primarily has seen infrastructure damage. Many of the homeowners dealing with water on or in their properties are facing groundwater issues instead of floodwaters from waterways cresting their banks, said Dan Dorman, county emergency management coordinator.

Although the flooding came after three separate storm systems, the county is hoping the National Weather Service, and therefore the state Emergency Management Agency, will categorize those three as one event.

“Theoretically, event No. 2 is a result of event No. 1 …” Dorman said. “It adds up, and our water table’s so high that the ground can’t take the rain anymore.”

The county’s financial threshold for public assistance based on damages is about $427,288. Dunwoody Road alone has suffered enough damage to nearly meet that threshold, Dorman said.

Surveying and reporting damage has been difficult due to the staggered storms, he said. Nonetheless, the county urges municipal officials to submit damage reports to county Emergency Management as soon as possible.

“Local officials, report your damage, because we need the information to make the case to the state officials that our constituents suffered a lot of damage and we need the assistance,” said Commissioner Rick Mirabito.

Affected municipalities also have been asked to declare disaster emergencies, Dorman said.

In another matter, the commissioners approved a $16,350 professional service agreement with Paul Albert Architect to redesign the exterior of the county prison entrance.

“We are not doing this for aesthetic reasons. The wall is deteriorating and may collapse,” Mirabito said in response to constituent concerns.

The county also intends to make it less possible for vehicles to access the entrance, he added.

“We’ve been seeing vehicles used in ways they’re not designed to be used,” he said.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved the purchase of software and a new touchscreen for a 2006 American recycling baler at the county recycling center for $11,678 from Process Control Solutions.

• Approved the following reallocations of past Community Development Block Grant funds: $2,702 to Washington Township for Hill Road reconstruction; $43,952 to West Branch Regional Authority for sewer lateral reconstruction in Montgomery for low-income residents; and $71,385 to Montoursville for curb cut handicap ramp and homeowner sidewalk reconstructions.

• Hired Stanley L. Rogers Jr. as a full-time replacement equipment operator for Resource Management Services at $18 per hour, effective Tuesday, and Nicole Boyer as a part-time replacement clerk I in the district attorney’s office at $11 per hour, effective Monday.

Commissioners Jack McKernan and Tony Mussare also were present. The next meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Executive Plaza.