How FEMA declarations work
A declaration is the federal decision that unlocks FEMA help for a place after an incident. Every record on this site is one of three kinds, identified by the letters at the start of its ID.
This is a plain-language summary. FEMA's own explanation is the authority: How a disaster gets declared (FEMA).
The three declaration types
| Code | Type | What it means | FEMA numbers | Since 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR | Major disaster declaration | The President declared a major disaster under the Stafford Act, which can authorise a broad range of federal recovery programmes. | 1–1999 and 4000–4999 | 2,948 |
| EM | Emergency declaration | The President declared an emergency under the Stafford Act, which authorises more limited federal help, usually to protect lives and property. | 3000–3999 | 660 |
| FM | Fire management assistance declaration | FEMA approved fire management assistance, which helps state, local and tribal governments with the cost of fighting a wildfire. | 2000–2999 and 5000–5999 | 1,678 |
A declaration ID such as DR-4834-NC joins the type, FEMA's disaster number and the state or territory code. Counts link to the matching declarations.
Programmes a declaration can authorise
FEMA's data records which of these programmes were declared, and for which areas. A programme being declared does not mean any person or household qualifies.
- Individual Assistance (IA)
- Help for individuals and households, such as temporary housing and home repair.
- Public Assistance (PA)
- Help for state, local, tribal and territorial governments and some non-profits to recover public facilities and pay for emergency work.
- Hazard Mitigation (HM)
- Funding to reduce the risk of damage from future disasters.
“Declared” means FEMA authorised this programme for the listed areas. It does not mean any individual or household is eligible. Eligibility is decided by FEMA — apply or check at DisasterAssistance.gov.
Most recent declarations
Official FEMA records · Historical data · Last refreshed 5 Nov 2026, 18:35 UTC
Data last refreshed 5 Nov 2026, 18:35 UTC. FEMA may have newer records.
| Declaration | State | Incident type | Declared | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Isaias | Florida | Hurricane | 27 Oct 2026 | DR-4955-FL |
| Severe Storms and Flooding | New Mexico | Flood | 26 Oct 2026 | EM-3660-NM |
| Typhoon Champi | Guam | Other | 17 Oct 2026 | EM-3659-GU |
| Tropical Storm Champi | Northern Mariana Islands | Tropical Storm | 17 Oct 2026 | EM-3658-MP |
| Norte Fire | California | Fire | 16 Oct 2026 | FM-5679-CA |
| Hurricane Isaias | Georgia | Tropical Storm | 9 Oct 2026 | EM-3657-GA |
| Hurricane Isaias | Alabama | Hurricane | 9 Oct 2026 | EM-3656-AL |
| Hurricane Isaias | Florida | Tropical Storm | 9 Oct 2026 | EM-3655-FL |
| Severe Storms and Flooding | New Mexico | Flood | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4954-NM |
| Severe Storms and Flooding | West Virginia | Severe Storm | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4953-WV |
| Hurricane Lowell | Hawaii | Hurricane | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4952-HI |
| Hurricane Lala | Hawaii | Hurricane | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4951-HI |
| Severe Storm and Straight-Line Winds | Oklahoma | Severe Storm | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4950-OK |
| Severe Storms and Tornadoes | Wisconsin | Tornado | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4949-WI |
| Cottonwood Fire, Flooding, and Mudslides | Utah | Flood | 7 Oct 2026 | DR-4948-UT |