Every federal disaster in Fort Wayne since 1954
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Allen County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 21since 1954
- Major disasters
- 14the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 14declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Allen County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by tornado, inland flooding and winter weather. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Emergency | EM-3651 |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Severe Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3641 |
| Apr 15, 2023 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-4704 |
| Apr 3, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4515 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3456 |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-4173 |
| Apr 22, 2009 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1832 |
| Jan 30, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1740 |
| Mar 12, 2007 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3274 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3238 |
| Jan 21, 2005 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1573 |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1520 |
| Jul 11, 2003 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1476 |
| Jan 24, 2001 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3162 |
| Jan 15, 1999 | In-Winter Storm 12/23/98 | Emergency | EM-3135 |
| Jan 5, 1991 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-891 |
| Mar 20, 1982 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-652 |
| Mar 29, 1978 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-553 |
| 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 Fort Wayne had?
Since 1954, the federal government has issued 21 disaster or emergency declarations covering Allen County, including 14 major disaster declarations. 14 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Fort Wayne?
Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Emergency, declared August 15, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Fort Wayne most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (7), severe storm (7), snowstorm (3) and biological (2).
New to Fort Wayne? 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 Allen 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.