Every federal disaster in Lexington since 1957
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Fayette County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 25since 1957
- Major disasters
- 18the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 15declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Winter Storm
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette 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-3633 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Emergency | EM-3626 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides | Emergency | EM-3624 |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4782 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4702 |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4595 |
| Mar 28, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4497 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3469 |
| May 11, 2010 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1912 |
| Feb 5, 2009 | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1818 |
| Jan 28, 2009 | Severe Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3302 |
| Feb 21, 2008 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and | Major disaster | DR-1746 |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina | Emergency | EM-3231 |
| Jun 10, 2004 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-1523 |
| Mar 14, 2003 | Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and | Major disaster | DR-1454 |
| Mar 4, 1997 | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1163 |
| Jan 13, 1996 | Blizzard of 96 | Major disaster | DR-1089 |
| Mar 16, 1994 | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw | Major disaster | DR-1018 |
| Mar 16, 1993 | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm | Emergency | EM-3104 |
| Feb 24, 1989 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-821 |
| Dec 12, 1978 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-568 |
| Mar 17, 1964 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-163 |
| Mar 13, 1963 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-148 |
| Mar 12, 1962 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-128 |
| Jan 31, 1957 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-66 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Lexington had?
Since 1957, the federal government has issued 25 disaster or emergency declarations covering Fayette County, including 18 major disaster declarations. 15 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Lexington?
Severe Winter Storm (Emergency, declared January 24, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Lexington most often?
By FEMA incident type: severe storm (9), flood (7), snowstorm (3) and severe ice storm (2).
New to Lexington? 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 Fayette 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.