FEMA Disaster Declaration Data Download: Fields, Filters, and CSV

01 / Exact values

Fields and filters used for the download

The downloadable table is a compact, reproducible view of the local OpenFEMA snapshot.

03 / Context

Overview of FEMA Disaster Declaration Data

FEMA Disaster Declaration Data is a key resource for understanding federally recognized disasters across the United States. This data is centrally maintained and updated by FEMA through the OpenFEMA platform, which offers transparency and easy public access to disaster-related datasets. The Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 dataset specifically compiles all disaster declarations of the "DR" type, which refers to individual disaster relief declarations issued for states facing significant damage or emergencies.

This dataset excludes tribal declarations to focus solely on the fifty states. Each disaster record includes a unique disaster number and is presented such that duplicates related to the same disaster number are merged into one comprehensive entry. The dataset also organizes disasters by the year of their declaration, making historical trend analysis practical.

• Data source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
• Declaration type: DR (Disaster Relief)
• Geographic scope: All fifty U.S. states
• Exclusion: Tribal disaster requests are excluded
• Deduplication: One row per unique disaster number
• Date grouping: Organized by declaration date year

04 / Context

Exact Table Fields and Data Scope

The Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 dataset includes a variety of fields to describe each disaster. Key fields include the disaster number, declaration date, state, incident type, and declaration title. While these fields provide an overview of each disaster, detailed property damage estimates or affected property counts are not explicitly included in this summary dataset.

Users seeking detailed property damage information for a particular disaster should consult the official FEMA disaster declarations page, which offers event-specific documents and application guidance.

The dataset captures disasters from the inception of federal declarations beginning in 1953 to the most current updates, presenting a longitudinal view of disaster declarations over decades.

• Key fields: Disaster number, declaration date, state, incident type, title
• Dataset period: 1953 to present
• No direct property damage value fields included
• Focus on disaster declarations rather than damage estimates

05 / Context

Filters and CSV Download Details

The disaster declaration data can be filtered to suit specific research needs. Researchers and analysts often filter by declaration year to study trends or by state to focus on local disaster history. These filters can be applied directly via the OpenFEMA API or by processing the full CSV download locally.

The complete dataset is publicly available in CSV format from FEMA's OpenFEMA portal, facilitating broad reuse. This format supports common data analysis tools and workflows, allowing users to perform sorting, filtering, and joining with other datasets.

The dataset is updated regularly to reflect new disaster declarations and changes in existing records, so users should verify the dataset version and download date for reproducibility.

• Filter by declaration date year or state
• Downloadable as CSV from https://www.fema.gov/openfema-data-page/disaster-declarations-summaries-v2
• Compatible with most data analysis software
• Dataset updated regularly for new disaster declarations

06 / Context

Source Limits and Reuse Guidance

Though the Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 dataset provides a useful snapshot of disaster declarations, it has limitations. It does not include detailed damage assessments or financial data associated with individual disasters. Property damage analysis requires consulting more detailed sources or event-specific reports.

Because tribal disaster declarations are excluded, users should be aware that this dataset does not represent disaster activity affecting tribal lands.

For event-specific legal or aid eligibility information, users must review FEMA’s official disaster declarations or applications page, ensuring reliance on the most current authoritative sources for decision-making or research.

• Dataset excludes tribal requests – not comprehensive for tribal lands
• No detailed damage or financial data included
• Must consult official event declarations for detailed information
• Intended primarily as a high-level disaster declaration summary

Conclusion

Use the table with its definition.

FEMA Disaster Declaration Data Download via the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 dataset provides a streamlined and accessible way to review historical and current federal disaster declarations across the United States. This dataset allows users to explore disaster declarations by year and state, with clear metadata and deduplicated records. However, users seeking detailed property damage numbers or tribal disaster information should consult specific FEMA event pages or supplementary sources. Regular updates and official FEMA resources should always be referenced to ensure accurate and timely disaster analysis.

Sources and limits

Read the source notes before reusing the numbers.

This page preserves the dataset scope, period and limitations. The figures are not a forecast, an insurance estimate, a measure of individual risk, or a ranking beyond the selection described above.

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2

Primary declaration fields and data documentation.

Open official source ↗

FEMA disaster declarations

Official lookup for human-readable declaration records.

Open official source ↗

OpenAI assisted with explanatory prose. Tables and charts are rendered from checked local source snapshots.