Every federal disaster in Dearborn since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Wayne County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 20since 1953
- Major disasters
- 15the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 9declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by tornado, inland flooding and strong wind. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 8, 2024 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4757 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-4607 |
| Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4494 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3455 |
| Sep 25, 2014 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4195 |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3225 |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1527 |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Power Outage | Emergency | EM-3189 |
| Oct 17, 2000 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1346 |
| Jan 27, 1999 | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 | Emergency | EM-3137 |
| Aug 5, 1998 | Severe Storms and High Winds | Major disaster | DR-1237 |
| Jul 11, 1997 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1181 |
| Sep 8, 1980 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-631 |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3057 |
| Mar 19, 1976 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Icing & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-495 |
| Apr 12, 1973 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-371 |
| Dec 1, 1972 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-363 |
| Apr 5, 1956 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-53 |
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-6 |
| Jun 2, 1953 | Tornado | Major disaster | DR-4 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Dearborn had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 20 disaster or emergency declarations covering Wayne County, including 15 major disaster declarations. 9 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Dearborn?
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Major disaster, declared February 8, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit Dearborn most often?
By FEMA incident type: severe storm (6), flood (5), tornado (3) and snowstorm (2).
New to Dearborn? 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 Wayne 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.