Every federal disaster in Abilene since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Taylor County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 33since 1953
- Major disasters
- 20the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 16declarations
- Most recent
- 2022Mesquite Heat Fire
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Taylor County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by hail, winter weather and lightning. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2022 | Mesquite Heat Fire | Fire management | FM-5440 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Severe Winter Storms | Major disaster | DR-4586 |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Severe Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3554 |
| Mar 25, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4485 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3458 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3501 |
| Mar 5, 2009 | Tuscola Fire | Fire management | FM-2798 |
| Feb 27, 2009 | Rhodes Ranch Fire | Fire management | FM-2795 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | Wildfires | Emergency | EM-3284 |
| Oct 2, 2007 | Tropical Storm Erin | Major disaster | DR-1730 |
| Jun 29, 2007 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1709 |
| Jan 11, 2006 | Extreme Wildfire Threat | Major disaster | DR-1624 |
| Sep 24, 2005 | Hurricane Rita | Major disaster | DR-1606 |
| Sep 21, 2005 | Hurricane Rita | Emergency | EM-3261 |
| Sep 2, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3216 |
| Jul 4, 2002 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1425 |
| Sep 1, 1999 | Extreme Fire Hazards | Emergency | EM-3142 |
| Aug 26, 1998 | Tropical Storm Charley | Major disaster | DR-1239 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | Fire | Emergency | EM-3127 |
| Feb 23, 1996 | Extreme Fire Hazard | Emergency | EM-3117 |
| Sep 10, 1993 | Extreme Fire Hazard | Emergency | EM-3113 |
| May 2, 1990 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-863 |
| May 19, 1989 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-828 |
| Oct 23, 1981 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-648 |
| Sep 24, 1963 | Hurricane Cindy | Major disaster | DR-159 |
| Sep 16, 1961 | Hurricane Carla | Major disaster | DR-118 |
| Jul 15, 1960 | Heavy Rains, Hail, Floods & Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-103 |
| Jul 8, 1959 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-93 |
| Jun 6, 1958 | Tornadoes, Rain, Hail & Floods | Major disaster | DR-85 |
| Apr 29, 1957 | Hurricane, Rain, Wind, Hail & Floods | Major disaster | DR-72 |
| Jul 1, 1954 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-18 |
| Jun 19, 1953 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-9 |
| May 15, 1953 | Tornado & Heavy Rainfall | Major disaster | DR-2 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Abilene had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 33 disaster or emergency declarations covering Taylor County, including 20 major disaster declarations. 16 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Abilene?
Mesquite Heat Fire (Fire management, declared May 18, 2022).
What kinds of disasters hit Abilene most often?
By FEMA incident type: fire (8), hurricane (6), severe storm (6) and flood (5).
New to Abilene? The city profile covers flood maps and emergency alerts, and the risk summary shows FEMA's hazard ratings.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), downloaded October 18, 2026. We list declarations that named Taylor County, plus early statewide declarations from before FEMA designated individual counties. "Major disaster" declarations bring the widest federal aid; "emergency" declarations cover shorter-term help; "fire management" declarations help pay to fight large wildfires.