Every federal disaster in Bloomington since 1957
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered McLean County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 13since 1957
- Major disasters
- 9the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 6declarations
- Most recent
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McLean County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by winter weather, drought and cold wave. 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 |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-1960 |
| Feb 9, 2007 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-1681 |
| 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 |
| Mar 6, 1990 | Severe Ice Storm | Major disaster | DR-860 |
| Apr 11, 1974 | Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-427 |
| Apr 26, 1973 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-373 |
| Jun 5, 1968 | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-242 |
| 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 Bloomington had?
Since 1957, the federal government has issued 13 disaster or emergency declarations covering McLean County, including 9 major disaster declarations. 6 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Bloomington?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 26, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Bloomington most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (3), snowstorm (3), tornado (2) and severe ice storm (2).
New to Bloomington? 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 McLean 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.