Every federal disaster in Cambridge since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Middlesex County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 42since 1953
- Major disasters
- 23the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 30declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Middlesex County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by ice storm, hurricane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4919 |
| Sep 15, 2023 | Hurricane Lee | Emergency | EM-3599 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Tropical Storm Henri | Emergency | EM-3566 |
| Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4496 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3484 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3497 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3438 |
| Jul 19, 2018 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4379 |
| Apr 13, 2015 | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4214 |
| Apr 19, 2013 | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4110 |
| Apr 17, 2013 | Explosions | Emergency | EM-3362 |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane Sandy | Emergency | EM-3350 |
| Jan 6, 2012 | Severe Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4051 |
| Nov 1, 2011 | Severe Storm | Emergency | EM-3343 |
| Aug 26, 2011 | Hurricane Irene | Emergency | EM-3330 |
| Mar 7, 2011 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-1959 |
| Sep 2, 2010 | Hurricane Earl | Emergency | EM-3315 |
| May 3, 2010 | Water Main Break | Emergency | EM-3312 |
| Mar 29, 2010 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1895 |
| Jan 5, 2009 | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1813 |
| Dec 13, 2008 | Severe Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3296 |
| May 25, 2006 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1642 |
| Nov 10, 2005 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1614 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3252 |
| Feb 17, 2005 | Record and/Or Near Record Snow | Emergency | EM-3201 |
| Apr 21, 2004 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1512 |
| Jan 15, 2004 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3191 |
| Mar 11, 2003 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3175 |
| Apr 10, 2001 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1364 |
| Mar 28, 2001 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3165 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | Heavy Rains and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1224 |
| Oct 25, 1996 | Extreme Weather Conditons and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1142 |
| Oct 23, 1996 | Extreme Weather Conditions and Flooding | Emergency | EM-3119 |
| Jan 24, 1996 | Blizzard of 96 | Major disaster | DR-1090 |
| Mar 16, 1993 | Blizzards, High Winds & Record Snowfall | Emergency | EM-3103 |
| Dec 21, 1992 | Winter Coastal Storm | Major disaster | DR-975 |
| Aug 26, 1991 | Hurricane Bob | Major disaster | DR-914 |
| Apr 18, 1987 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-790 |
| Oct 28, 1985 | Hurricane Gloria | Major disaster | DR-751 |
| Aug 20, 1955 | Hurricane & Floods | Major disaster | DR-43 |
| Sep 2, 1954 | Hurricanes | Major disaster | DR-22 |
| Jun 11, 1953 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-7 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Cambridge had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 42 disaster or emergency declarations covering Middlesex County, including 23 major disaster declarations. 30 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Cambridge?
Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (Major disaster, declared June 30, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Cambridge most often?
By FEMA incident type: hurricane (10), severe storm (9), snowstorm (8) and flood (5).
New to Cambridge? 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 Middlesex 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.