Every federal disaster in Denver since 1955
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Denver 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 1955
- Major disasters
- 8the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 9declarations
- Most recent
- 2020COVID-19 Pandemic
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Denver County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by hail, lightning and tornado. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4498 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3436 |
| Jul 16, 2015 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4229 |
| Sep 14, 2013 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4145 |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Emergency | EM-3365 |
| Jan 7, 2007 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3270 |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3224 |
| Apr 9, 2003 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3185 |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Wildfires | Major disaster | DR-1421 |
| May 23, 1973 | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-385 |
| Jun 19, 1965 | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-200 |
| Jun 12, 1956 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-59 |
| May 25, 1955 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-33 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Denver had?
Since 1955, the federal government has issued 13 disaster or emergency declarations covering Denver County, including 8 major disaster declarations. 9 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Denver?
COVID-19 Pandemic (Major disaster, declared March 28, 2020).
What kinds of disasters hit Denver most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (6), snowstorm (2), biological (2) and tornado (1).
New to Denver? 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 Denver 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.