FEMA’s Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset contains 69,905 records. The summary includes major disasters, emergencies, fire management assistance, incident categories, fiscal years, geographic regions, and assistance programs. These figures are reported by the FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API; the legacy research summary used here was not independently verified.
In this article
- What the FEMA declaration records measure
- Declaration types in the dataset
- States with the most declarations
- Fiscal years with the highest totals
- Most common incident types
- FEMA regions represented
- Assistance programs and tribal requests
What the FEMA declaration records measure
The FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset is organized around declaration records. A record can be associated with a major disaster, emergency, fire management assistance, an incident type, a fiscal year, a FEMA region, and one or more assistance programs. The counts below therefore describe records in the dataset, not a count of every individual disaster, household, injury, dollar of damage, or person assisted.
The dataset contains 69,905 records in total. Its three principal declaration groupings are major disaster declarations, emergency declarations, and fire management assistance declarations. There are 46,337 major disaster declarations, 21,465 emergency declarations, and 2,103 fire management assistance declarations, according to the FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
Those categories provide a useful starting point for preparedness planning. They show that the FEMA record system covers a wide range of events and declaration pathways. They should not be read as a direct ranking of personal risk: a declaration count does not indicate how severe each event was or how many residents were affected.
Declaration types in the dataset
The declaration categories have different meanings within the FEMA record structure. Major disaster declarations are the largest group in this summary, with 46,337 records. Emergency declarations account for 21,465 records. Fire management assistance declarations account for 2,103 records.
The difference between a record category and an incident is important. One event may generate multiple records or program relationships, while a single record can represent a formal federal declaration rather than a simple weather observation. For everyday preparedness, these statistics are best used as evidence that planning needs to cover several kinds of hazards and response arrangements.
The overall record count can also be viewed alongside the leading incident categories:
| Measure | Records |
|---|---|
| All records | 69,905 |
| Major disaster declarations | 46,337 |
| Emergency declarations | 21,465 |
| Fire management assistance declarations | 2,103 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
States with the most declarations
Texas has 5,391 declarations, the highest state total in the supplied summary. Kentucky follows with 3,355, while Missouri has 2,830. Florida has 2,794 declarations and Georgia has 2,768. Virginia has 2,756, Louisiana has 2,671, and Oklahoma has 2,593.
North Carolina has 2,431 declarations, followed by Mississippi with 2,129 and Puerto Rico with 2,116. Tennessee has 2,038 declarations. Iowa has 1,926, Kansas has 1,910, and Arkansas has 1,824.
| State or territory | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Texas | 5,391 |
| Kentucky | 3,355 |
| Missouri | 2,830 |
| Florida | 2,794 |
| Georgia | 2,768 |
| Virginia | 2,756 |
| Louisiana | 2,671 |
| Oklahoma | 2,593 |
| North Carolina | 2,431 |
| Mississippi | 2,129 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,116 |
| Tennessee | 2,038 |
| Iowa | 1,926 |
| Kansas | 1,910 |
| Arkansas | 1,824 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
The state totals are useful reminders that preparedness is not limited to one hazard zone. The states appearing near the top of this list include inland and coastal locations, and the dataset’s incident categories include storms, floods, fires, winter hazards, and biological incidents. A household plan should therefore reflect local exposure rather than relying on a national ranking alone.
Fiscal years with the highest totals
FY 2020 has 9,490 declarations, the highest annual total in the dataset. FY 2005 has 4,692 declarations. Other notable annual totals include 2,684 in FY 2011, 2,430 in FY 2008, 2,156 in FY 2021, and 2,147 in FY 2024.
The remaining reported fiscal-year figures are 1,910 declarations in FY 2019, 1,863 in FY 2004, 1,835 in FY 2017, 1,773 in FY 1993, and 1,750 in FY 1996. FY 2003 has 1,673 declarations, FY 2010 has 1,637, FY 1998 has 1,487, and FY 2009 has 1,456.
| Fiscal year | Declarations |
|---|---|
| FY 2020 | 9,490 |
| FY 2005 | 4,692 |
| FY 2011 | 2,684 |
| FY 2008 | 2,430 |
| FY 2021 | 2,156 |
| FY 2024 | 2,147 |
| FY 2019 | 1,910 |
| FY 2004 | 1,863 |
| FY 2017 | 1,835 |
| FY 1993 | 1,773 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
These are fiscal-year record totals, not calendar-year totals. That distinction matters when comparing the figures with local weather seasons, annual insurance reports, or household expenses. The summary does not provide enough information here to explain why one fiscal year has more records than another, so the figures should be treated as descriptive rather than causal.
Most common incident types
Severe Storm is the most common incident type in the summary, with 19,308 declarations. Hurricane accounts for 13,726 declarations, and Flood accounts for 11,287. Biological incidents account for 7,857 records.
Fire incidents account for 3,876 declarations, while Snowstorm incidents account for 3,707. Severe ice storm incidents account for 2,956. Tornado incidents account for 1,623, Winter storm incidents for 1,353, and Drought incidents for 1,292.
The remaining incident counts supplied are 1,065 for Tropical storm, 637 for Coastal storm, 314 for Other, 301 for Freezing, and 228 for Earthquake.
| Incident type | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Severe Storm | 19,308 |
| Hurricane | 13,726 |
| Flood | 11,287 |
| Biological | 7,857 |
| Fire | 3,876 |
| Snowstorm | 3,707 |
| Severe ice storm | 2,956 |
| Tornado | 1,623 |
| Winter storm | 1,353 |
| Drought | 1,292 |
| Tropical storm | 1,065 |
| Coastal storm | 637 |
| Other | 314 |
| Freezing | 301 |
| Earthquake | 228 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
For an everyday preparedness plan, the incident list supports a layered approach. Severe storms, hurricanes, and floods are prominent in this record summary, but winter weather, fire, biological incidents, drought, and earthquakes also appear. The appropriate supplies and communications plan will vary by location, season, and household needs.
FEMA regions represented
FEMA Region 4 accounts for 18,447 declarations, the largest regional total in the summary. Region 6 accounts for 13,022, and Region 7 accounts for 8,254. Region 5 accounts for 7,523 declarations, while Region 3 accounts for 5,892.
Region 8 accounts for 4,636 declarations and Region 2 for 4,367. Region 9 accounts for 2,707, Region 1 for 2,593, and Region 10 for 2,464.
| FEMA region | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Region 4 | 18,447 |
| Region 6 | 13,022 |
| Region 7 | 8,254 |
| Region 5 | 7,523 |
| Region 3 | 5,892 |
| Region 8 | 4,636 |
| Region 2 | 4,367 |
| Region 9 | 2,707 |
| Region 1 | 2,593 |
| Region 10 | 2,464 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
Regional totals place state and territory records into FEMA’s administrative structure. They are not a substitute for county-level or neighborhood-level hazard information. A resident can use the regional picture for broad context, then build a more practical plan around local alerts, evacuation routes, shelter information, utilities, and the needs of people and pets at home.
Assistance programs and tribal requests
Public assistance program declarations appear in 65,418 records, making public assistance the most frequently represented program field in this summary. Hazard mitigation program declarations appear in 30,021 records. Individual assistance program declarations appear in 17,187 records, while Individuals and Households Program declarations appear in 11,732 records.
Tribal requests appear in 167 records. This is a separate reported count and should not be treated as a measure of tribal population, tribal need, or the total number of tribal communities affected by disasters.
| Program or request field | Records |
|---|---|
| Public assistance | 65,418 |
| Hazard mitigation | 30,021 |
| Individual assistance | 17,187 |
| Individuals and Households Program | 11,732 |
| Tribal requests | 167 |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries API.
The program figures also show why a declaration count is not the same as a count of households receiving help. Program fields can overlap within the record system, and the supplied summary does not provide application totals, approval rates, payout amounts, or the number of people served. For preparedness purposes, the practical lesson is to keep copies of important documents, understand local assistance channels, and maintain a household plan before an incident occurs.