Every federal disaster in Allentown since 1955
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Lehigh County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 22since 1955
- Major disasters
- 15the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 11declarations
- Most recent
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lehigh County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by winter weather, cold wave and inland flooding. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4506 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3441 |
| Mar 23, 2016 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4267 |
| Oct 29, 2012 | Hurricane Sandy | Emergency | EM-3356 |
| Sep 8, 2011 | Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee | Emergency | EM-3340 |
| Sep 3, 2011 | Hurricane Irene | Major disaster | DR-4025 |
| Aug 29, 2011 | Hurricane Irene | Emergency | EM-3339 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina | Emergency | EM-3235 |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Tropical Depression Frances | Major disaster | DR-1555 |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Tropical Depression Ivan | Major disaster | DR-1557 |
| Mar 14, 2003 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3180 |
| Jan 21, 1996 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1093 |
| Jan 13, 1996 | Blizzard of 96 | Major disaster | DR-1085 |
| Mar 10, 1994 | Severe Winter Storms | Major disaster | DR-1015 |
| Mar 16, 1993 | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3105 |
| Jun 23, 1972 | Tropical Storm Agnes | Major disaster | DR-340 |
| Aug 18, 1965 | Water Shortage | Major disaster | DR-206 |
| Jan 23, 1959 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-89 |
| Aug 9, 1956 | Storm | Major disaster | DR-61 |
| May 21, 1956 | Severe Storm | Major disaster | DR-58 |
| Mar 15, 1956 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-51 |
| Aug 20, 1955 | Floods & Rains | Major disaster | DR-40 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Allentown had?
Since 1955, the federal government has issued 22 disaster or emergency declarations covering Lehigh County, including 15 major disaster declarations. 11 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Allentown?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 30, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Allentown most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (6), severe storm (5), hurricane (5) and snowstorm (3).
New to Allentown? 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 Lehigh 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.