Every federal disaster in Akron since 1956
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Summit County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 17since 1956
- Major disasters
- 12the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 10declarations
- Most recent
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Summit County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by tornado, inland flooding and winter weather. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4507 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3457 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storms | Emergency | EM-3346 |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Major disaster | DR-1805 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3250 |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1556 |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1519 |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Power Outage | Emergency | EM-3187 |
| Aug 1, 2003 | Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds | Major disaster | DR-1484 |
| Nov 18, 2002 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1444 |
| Aug 4, 1992 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-951 |
| Jan 26, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3055 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-421 |
| Jul 15, 1969 | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-266 |
| Mar 24, 1964 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-167 |
| Jan 23, 1959 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-90 |
| May 17, 1956 | Wind Storm | Major disaster | DR-57 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Akron had?
Since 1956, the federal government has issued 17 disaster or emergency declarations covering Summit County, including 12 major disaster declarations. 10 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Akron?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 31, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Akron most often?
By FEMA incident type: severe storm (6), tornado (3), other (2) and flood (2).
New to Akron? 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 Summit 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.