Every federal disaster in Lansing since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Ingham County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 15since 1953
- Major disasters
- 10the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 8declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ingham County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by strong wind, tornado and ice storm. 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 |
| Mar 27, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4494 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3455 |
| Jul 14, 2008 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1777 |
| 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 |
| Jan 10, 2001 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3160 |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3057 |
| Sep 30, 1975 | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-486 |
| Apr 26, 1975 | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-465 |
| Apr 5, 1972 | Severe Storm & Freezing | Major disaster | DR-330 |
| 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 Lansing had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 15 disaster or emergency declarations covering Ingham County, including 10 major disaster declarations. 8 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Lansing?
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Major disaster, declared February 8, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit Lansing most often?
By FEMA incident type: tornado (3), snowstorm (3), flood (3) and severe storm (2).
New to Lansing? 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 Ingham 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.