Every federal disaster in Aurora since 1957
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Kane County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 18since 1957
- Major disasters
- 13the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 8declarations
- Most recent
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kane County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by cold wave, tornado 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 26, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4489 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3435 |
| May 10, 2013 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4116 |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-1960 |
| Oct 3, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1800 |
| Sep 25, 2007 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1729 |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3230 |
| Jan 17, 2001 | Illinois Winter Snow Storms | Emergency | EM-3161 |
| Jan 8, 1999 | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 | Emergency | EM-3134 |
| Jul 25, 1996 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1129 |
| Aug 29, 1990 | Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-878 |
| Oct 7, 1986 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-776 |
| Jan 16, 1979 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3068 |
| Jun 10, 1974 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-438 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-373 |
| Apr 25, 1967 | Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-227 |
| May 27, 1961 | Floods & Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-115 |
| Jun 22, 1957 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-78 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Aurora had?
Since 1957, the federal government has issued 18 disaster or emergency declarations covering Kane County, including 13 major disaster declarations. 8 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Aurora?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 26, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Aurora most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (6), snowstorm (4), severe storm (3) and tornado (2).
New to Aurora? 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 Kane 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.