TL;DR: FEMA has designated counties for severe-storm disasters 19,516 times since 1953 across 51 states and 3,017 counties, according to DisasterLookup.

What the complete severe-storm file covers

DisasterLookup reports 19,516 county-level severe-storm designations since 1953 across 51 states and 3,017 counties.

DisasterLookup also reports every one of FEMA's 5,283 declarations since 1953 for every county, with programs switched on and whether applications remain possible.

The site states its table is re-read from FEMA twice a day.

Its methodology page states everything comes from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets and nothing is estimated.

That methodology page states FEMA data was checked Oct. 16, 2026.

FEMA's OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2 describes itself as a summarized dataset describing all federally declared disasters.

That FEMA dataset page states the file lists all official FEMA Disaster Declarations beginning with the first disaster declaration in 1953.

The same FEMA page states the file features all three disaster declaration types: major disaster, emergency, and fire management assistance.

The same FEMA page states the dataset includes declared recovery programs and geographic areas.

The same FEMA page states county information is not available before 1964.

The same FEMA page states Fire Management records are considered partial because of the historical nature of the dataset.

The same FEMA page states the disaster-numbering structure originated in the 1950s-1970s.

Under that structure, numbers 0001-1999 mean Major Disaster Declaration, according to FEMA's OpenFEMA Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.

Under that structure, numbers 2000-2999 mean Fire Management, according to the same FEMA page.

Under that structure, numbers 3000-3999 mean Emergency Declaration, according to the same FEMA page.

Under that structure, numbers 4000-4999 mean Major Disaster Declaration, according to the same FEMA page.

Under that structure, numbers 5000-5999 mean Fire Management, according to the same FEMA page.

The same FEMA page describes the file as raw, unedited data from FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System, known as NEMIS.

The same FEMA page states the data is subject to a small percentage of human error.

The same FEMA page states the dataset is primarily composed of historical data manually entered into NEMIS after it launched in 1998.

The same FEMA page states NEMIS uses census data from the United States Census Bureau in which Tribal Nations are listed as localities within a State.

The same FEMA page therefore states disaster declarations for Tribal Nations are currently included in State data.

The same FEMA page lists 70,571 records across csv, json, jsona, jsonl and parquet formats.

DisasterLookup states Disaster Declarations Summaries covers every declaration and every designated area, with programs declared, incident dates, application deadline and closeout date.

DisasterLookup states the whole declarations table is re-read twice a day.

DisasterLookup states Public Assistance funded projects, showing what FEMA obligated to governments and nonprofits by county and category, are re-read twice a day for disasters declared in the last four years.

DisasterLookup states housing assistance for owners and renters and registration intake, covering households registered and amounts approved, are re-read twice a day for recent major disasters.

DisasterLookup states flood insurance claims and policies and validated household-registration aggregates are snapshots as of April 2026.

Newest severe-storm entries on the list

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms and Flooding DR-4953-WV in West Virginia, declared Oct. 7, 2026, as a major disaster covering 3 areas.

The same DisasterLookup listing shows households could apply under DR-4953-WV, marked open with 45 days left.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storm and Straight-Line Winds DR-4950-OK in Oklahoma, declared Oct. 7, 2026, as a major disaster covering 4 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4950-OK.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storm and Flooding DR-4947-NH in New Hampshire, declared Oct. 7, 2026, as a major disaster covering 1 area.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4947-NH.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4943-KS in Kansas, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 22 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4943-KS.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms and Flooding DR-4942-IA in Iowa, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 4 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4942-IA.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding DR-4941-SD in South Dakota, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 1 area.

The same listing shows household applications open with 38 days left under DR-4941-SD.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4940-KS in Kansas, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 32 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4940-KS.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding DR-4939-MO in Missouri, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 9 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4939-MO.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4938-SD in South Dakota, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 10 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4938-SD.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-4937-KY in Kentucky, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 20 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4937-KY.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes DR-4934-ND in North Dakota, declared Sept. 1, 2026, as a major disaster covering 7 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4934-ND.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4929-MO in Missouri, declared Aug. 3, 2026, as a major disaster covering 34 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4929-MO.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4928-NE in Nebraska, declared Aug. 3, 2026, as a major disaster covering 8 areas.

The same listing shows no household applications under DR-4928-NE.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4926-KS in Kansas, declared June 30, 2026, as a major disaster covering 5 areas.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4924-MO in Missouri, declared June 30, 2026, as a major disaster covering 10 areas.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding DR-4922-MS in Mississippi, declared June 30, 2026, as a major disaster covering 5 areas.

The same listing states household applications for DR-4922-MS had a deadline of Aug. 31, 2026.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms and Flooding DR-4918-NM in New Mexico, declared June 30, 2026, as a major disaster covering 1 area.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-4917-ID in Idaho, declared June 30, 2026, as a major disaster covering 6 areas.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms and Flooding DR-4911-AZ in Arizona, declared May 29, 2026, as a major disaster covering 1 area.

The same listing states household applications for DR-4911-AZ had a deadline of Aug. 1, 2026.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides DR-4907-OR in Oregon, declared April 7, 2026, as a major disaster covering 11 areas.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding DR-4897-KS in Kansas, declared Dec. 19, 2025, as a major disaster covering 12 areas.

Where state-level counts concentrate

PlainHazard reports 1,144 state declarations with incident type Severe Storm since 1956, comprising 1,103 major disasters and 41 emergencies.

The same PlainHazard analysis, sourced to FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 through Oct. 2, 2026, counts one declaration per disaster number and state.

PlainHazard identifies Oklahoma with 51 severe-storm declarations, the highest state total.

PlainHazard places Kansas second with 50 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Missouri third with 48 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Tennessee with 45 and Alabama with 45 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Mississippi with 43 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Kentucky with 41 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Nebraska with 39 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places South Dakota with 34 and Iowa with 34 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Arkansas with 33 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places New York with 31 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places Vermont with 29 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places West Virginia with 28 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard places New Hampshire with 27 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard identifies 2008 as the busiest year with 62 severe-storm state declarations.

PlainHazard identifies Clay County, Kentucky, named in 25 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard identifies Owsley County, Kentucky, named in 24 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard identifies Johnson County, Kentucky, Knott County, Kentucky, Lawrence County, Kentucky, and Perry County, Kentucky, each named in 23 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard identifies Breathitt County, Kentucky, Estill County, Kentucky, Floyd County, Kentucky, Magoffin County, Kentucky, and Morris County, Kansas, each named in 21 severe-storm declarations.

PlainHazard identifies Edwards County, Kansas, named in 20 severe-storm declarations.

What a declaration actually switches on

DisasterLookup states a declaration is a switchboard, not a check.

DisasterLookup states each declaration flips specific programs on for specific counties.

DisasterLookup states Individual Assistance is the program that lets residents apply to FEMA and is most often left off.

DisasterLookup states that since 2016, FEMA designated counties 24,333 times and households could apply in 26% of them.

DisasterLookup defines Individual Assistance as households applying directly for help with temporary housing, home repairs and other uninsured losses.

DisasterLookup cites Fayette County, West Virginia, under DR-4953-WV as an example where residents could apply under Individual Assistance.

DisasterLookup defines Public Assistance as FEMA reimbursement to state and local governments, tribes and some nonprofits for debris removal, emergency response and rebuilding public roads, buildings and utilities.

DisasterLookup states there was no federal reimbursement for local government costs in Fayette County under that DR-4953-WV example.

DisasterLookup defines Hazard Mitigation as grants for projects that reduce future damage, such as buyouts of flood-prone homes, elevating buildings or safe rooms.

DisasterLookup states local governments apply for mitigation grants, not homeowners, and coverage is often statewide.

DisasterLookup states there were no mitigation grants tied to that declaration for Fayette County.

DisasterLookup states an emergency declaration, coded EM, is narrower and often comes before or during an event, mostly for emergency work like evacuations and shelters.

DisasterLookup states a major disaster declaration, coded DR, is the broadest kind and is where help for individual households almost always comes from.

DisasterLookup states fire management declarations, coded FM, cover firefighting costs only.

DisasterLookup lists Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding EM-3627-AR in Arkansas, declared April 5, 2025, as an emergency covering 75 areas.

DisasterLookup defines the incident period as the official start and end date of the disaster in FEMA records.

DisasterLookup states damage generally has to happen inside the incident period to count for FEMA assistance.

DisasterLookup states the usual application window is 60 days from the declaration date, with extensions often issued.

DisasterLookup states every county page shows the current deadline FEMA lists for each open declaration.

DisasterLookup directs applicants to DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 and states the lookup site itself cannot take applications.

DisasterLookup states its county pages show at the top whether anything is open, including whether households can still apply and by when.

DisasterLookup reported 17 declarations in the last 30 days, with 8 open for household applications.

Sources referenced