Every federal disaster in Cincinnati since 1956
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Hamilton 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 1956
- Major disasters
- 17the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 11declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hamilton County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by tornado, lightning 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides | Major disaster | DR-4945 |
| Mar 31, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4507 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3457 |
| Apr 17, 2018 | Severe Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4360 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storms | Emergency | EM-3346 |
| Jul 13, 2011 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4002 |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Major disaster | DR-1805 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3250 |
| Jan 11, 2005 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3198 |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1556 |
| Aug 27, 2001 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1390 |
| Mar 4, 1997 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1164 |
| Jun 24, 1996 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1122 |
| Jan 27, 1996 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1097 |
| Jun 6, 1990 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-870 |
| Jan 26, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3055 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-421 |
| Jun 4, 1973 | Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-390 |
| Jun 5, 1968 | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-243 |
| Mar 24, 1964 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-167 |
| Jan 23, 1959 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-90 |
| May 17, 1956 | Wind Storm | Major disaster | DR-57 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Cincinnati had?
Since 1956, the federal government has issued 22 disaster or emergency declarations covering Hamilton County, including 17 major disaster declarations. 11 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Cincinnati?
Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides (Major disaster, declared October 2, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Cincinnati most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (7), severe storm (7), snowstorm (2) and biological (2).
New to Cincinnati? The moving checklist 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 Hamilton 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.