At a glance
What this dataset shows
- FEMA disaster declaration types classify incidents by nature but do not rank risk or damage severity.
- The primary event types include Severe Storm, Flood, Hurricane, Fire, and Tropical Storm, among others.
- Declaration records cover a period and scope documented by FEMA and are available through official data sources.
- Users should verify event-specific details on FEMA’s official disaster declarations pages for precise information.
- FEMA data has limits and reuse restrictions; careful review of the source documentation is necessary before use.
01 / Exact values
Incident types in the selection
Incident labels recorded by OpenFEMA after filtering to DR declarations and the stated geography.
| Incident type | Declarations |
|---|---|
| Severe Storm | 119 |
| Flood | 65 |
| Hurricane | 25 |
| Fire | 15 |
| Tropical Storm | 11 |
| Winter Storm | 10 |
| Severe Ice Storm | 9 |
| Tornado | 9 |
| Snowstorm | 6 |
| Mud/Landslide | 4 |
| Tropical Depression | 1 |
| Coastal Storm | 1 |
| Straight-Line Winds | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
03 / Context
Overview of FEMA Disaster Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes disaster declarations based on the nature of the incident, providing labels that indicate the type of disaster that prompted federal assistance requests. These types include natural events like floods, hurricanes, and winter storms, as well as other incidents such as fires and mudslides. This classification helps in organizing records and managing relief efforts, but it does not equate to an assessment of property damage or risk level. Each category simply identifies the event type, which is useful for analysis, reporting, and emergency planning.
- Disaster declaration types are event labels, not damage scores.
- Types include meteorological and geological events, among others.
- Categories support data organization and federal response coordination.
04 / Context
FEMA Disaster Declaration Types: Exact Table with Period and Scope
The FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset (version 2) provides a detailed enumeration of disaster declaration types and their respective counts as recorded over the dataset's coverage period. This dataset is the authoritative source for the labeling and tracking of federal disaster declarations and is publicly accessible via FEMA’s OpenFEMA data page.
- Severe Storm: 119 declarations
- Flood: 65 declarations
- Hurricane: 25 declarations
- Fire: 15 declarations
- Tropical Storm: 11 declarations
- Winter Storm: 10 declarations (including Severe Ice Storm: 9 declarations)
05 / Context
Source Limits and Reuse Guidance
FEMA disaster declaration data is published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the OpenFEMA portal. While the dataset is comprehensive, its use comes with limitations: it reports official designations without evaluating property damage severity or likelihood of risk for future events. Users should not treat disaster declaration types as risk ratings or damage assessments. Event-specific details, eligibility criteria, or disaster impacts must be verified by consulting the official FEMA disaster declarations lookup page or related application materials. The data is subject to FEMA’s terms of use for public data and should be cited accordingly when reused.
- Dataset reflects official FEMA detection and classification only.
- Does not quantify damages or provide risk scores.
- Event details must be verified from FEMA’s official declaration pages.
- Careful adherence to FEMA data use policies is recommended.
06 / Context
Practical Verification Checklist for Using FEMA Disaster Declaration Data
To utilize FEMA disaster declaration data correctly, follow this checklist:
- Confirm the data version and update date to ensure current information.
- Use official FEMA sources: OpenFEMA for datasets and FEMA’s declarations page for human-readable records.
- Understand that the 'type' field denotes event category, not damage magnitude.
- Cross-check events of interest with FEMA’s official declarations for detailed impact and assistance info.
- Respect data reuse policies and provide attribution to FEMA as required.
Conclusion
Use the table with its definition.
FEMA disaster declaration types offer a structured way to identify and categorize disasters that may trigger federal aid. While these types help in data organization and emergency response planning, they should not be used as proxies for property damage severity or risk assessment. For any specific incident, detailed verification on the official FEMA disaster declarations website is essential. By understanding these distinctions and following proper data use guidelines, users can responsibly leverage FEMA’s disaster declaration data for research, planning, and informational purposes.
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.