DisasterTrack USA

Trends in FEMA declarations

Official FEMA records · Historical data · Last refreshed 5 Nov 2026, 18:35 UTC

FEMA averaged 141 declarations a year over the ten full years to 2025, compared with 117 a year in 1996–2005. The highest year was 2020, with 315.

These figures count FEMA declarations and designated areas. They do not measure damage, cost, deaths or how severe an event was. Each declaration is counted once, in the year FEMA declared it. More declarations can reflect changes in policy and reporting as well as in hazards.

FEMA declarations per year by declaration type, 1953–2026

Measure: number of declarations declared in each calendar year, stacked by type (Major disaster = major disaster declaration; Emergency = emergency declaration; Fire management = fire management assistance declaration). The 2020 peak is the COVID-19 pandemic: every state, DC and the five territories received both an emergency and a major disaster declaration, and some Tribal Nations received their own. FEMA notes its older fire management records are partial. Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Latest record: 27 Oct 2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.
Show the numbers as a table
Year Major disaster Emergency Fire management Total
2026 583064 152
2025 45767 119
2024 1002062 182
2023 711330 114
2022 471033 90
2021 582240 120
2020 10413378 315
2019 611525 101
2018 591451 124
2017 591662 137
2016 46750 103
2015 43234 79
2014 45633 84
2013 62528 95
2012 471649 112
2011 9929114 242
2010 81918 108
2009 59749 115
2008 751751 143
2007 631360 136
2006 52586 143
2005 486839 155
2004 68743 118
2003 561948 123
2002 49069 118
2001 451144 100
2000 45663 114
1999 502040 110
1998 65954 128
1997 4403 47
1996 75875 158
1995 3224 38
1994 36120 57
1993 32197 58
1992 4526 53
1991 4302 45
1990 3805 43
1989 3101 32
1988 1105 16
1987 2317 31
1986 2801 29
1985 2709 36
1984 3444 42
1983 2112 24
1982 2430 27
1981 1503 18
1980 2362 31
1979 41107 58
1978 25142 41
1977 22345 61
1976 2887 43
1975 3861 45
1974 4652 53
1973 4609 55
1972 4800 48
1971 1703 20
1970 1702 19
1969 2900 29
1968 1800 18
1967 1000 10
1966 1100 11
1965 2500 25
1964 2500 25
1963 2000 20
1962 2200 22
1961 1200 12
1960 1200 12
1959 700 7
1958 700 7
1957 1600 16
1956 1600 16
1955 1800 18
1954 1700 17
1953 1300 13

The six most common incident types

Declarations per year for each type since 1964, the first year FEMA's data names counties. All six panels share one scale, so heights can be compared across types.

Fire: 1,783 declarations

Fire declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Fire declarations

Severe Storm: 1,140 declarations

Severe Storm declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Severe Storm declarations

Flood: 837 declarations

Flood declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Flood declarations

Hurricane: 434 declarations

Hurricane declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Hurricane declarations

Snowstorm: 171 declarations

Snowstorm declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Snowstorm declarations

Tornado: 168 declarations

Tornado declarations per year, 1964–2026. 2026 is partial: it runs to the latest FEMA record.

Tornado declarations

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Incident type is FEMA's primary classification of each declaration. Per-year numbers for every type are on each incident type page.