Every federal disaster in Ann Arbor since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Washtenaw County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 15since 1953
- Major disasters
- 9the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 8declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washtenaw County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by tornado, strong wind and lightning. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4925 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-4607 |
| Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4494 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3455 |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3225 |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1527 |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Power Outage | Emergency | EM-3189 |
| Jan 10, 2001 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3160 |
| Jan 27, 1999 | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 | Emergency | EM-3137 |
| Sep 8, 1980 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-631 |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3057 |
| Apr 14, 1965 | Tornadoes & Severe Storms | Major disaster | DR-190 |
| Apr 5, 1956 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-53 |
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-6 |
| Jun 2, 1953 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-4 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Ann Arbor had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 15 disaster or emergency declarations covering Washtenaw County, including 9 major disaster declarations. 8 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Ann Arbor?
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Major disaster, declared June 30, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Ann Arbor most often?
By FEMA incident type: tornado (4), snowstorm (3), flood (2) and severe storm (2).
New to Ann Arbor? 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 Washtenaw 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.