Every federal disaster in Evansville since 1954
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Vanderburgh County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 23since 1954
- Major disasters
- 19the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 17declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Winter Storm
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Vanderburgh County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by tornado, winter weather 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Severe Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3641 |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4882 |
| Apr 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4515 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3456 |
| May 4, 2018 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4363 |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4173 |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and | Major disaster | DR-1997 |
| Mar 5, 2009 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-1828 |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1795 |
| Oct 6, 2006 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1662 |
| Nov 8, 2005 | Tornado and Severe Storms | Major disaster | DR-1612 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3238 |
| Jan 21, 2005 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1573 |
| Jan 11, 2005 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3197 |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1520 |
| Jul 11, 2003 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1476 |
| Sep 25, 2002 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1433 |
| Mar 6, 1997 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1165 |
| Jul 3, 1996 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1125 |
| Jan 5, 1991 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-891 |
| Mar 17, 1964 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-162 |
| May 20, 1961 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-113 |
| Oct 26, 1954 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-30 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Evansville had?
Since 1954, the federal government has issued 23 disaster or emergency declarations covering Vanderburgh County, including 19 major disaster declarations. 17 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Evansville?
Severe Winter Storm (Emergency, declared January 24, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Evansville most often?
By FEMA incident type: severe storm (11), flood (6), biological (2) and snowstorm (1).
New to Evansville? 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 Vanderburgh 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.