Every federal disaster in Cleveland since 1956
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Cuyahoga 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
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cuyahoga County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by tornado, cold wave 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 31, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4507 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3457 |
| Jan 3, 2013 | Severe Storms and Flooding Due to the Remnants of Hurricane Sandy | Major disaster | DR-4098 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storms | Emergency | EM-3346 |
| Jul 2, 2006 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1651 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3250 |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1556 |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1519 |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Power Outage | Emergency | EM-3187 |
| Aug 1, 2003 | Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds | Major disaster | DR-1484 |
| Nov 18, 2002 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1444 |
| Aug 4, 1992 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-951 |
| Jun 10, 1989 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-831 |
| Jan 26, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3055 |
| Sep 11, 1975 | Winds, Tornadoes, Heavy Rains & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-480 |
| Apr 27, 1973 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-377 |
| Jul 19, 1972 | Tropical Storm Agnes | Major disaster | DR-345 |
| Jul 15, 1969 | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-266 |
| Apr 14, 1965 | Tornadoes & Severe Storms | Major disaster | DR-191 |
| 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 Cleveland had?
Since 1956, the federal government has issued 22 disaster or emergency declarations covering Cuyahoga County, including 17 major disaster declarations. 11 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Cleveland?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 31, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Cleveland most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (6), severe storm (6), tornado (3) and other (2).
New to Cleveland? 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 Cuyahoga 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.