Every federal disaster in Milwaukee since 1969
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Milwaukee County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 22since 1969
- Major disasters
- 17the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 13declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Milwaukee County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by tornado, winter weather and cold wave. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4923 |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4892 |
| Apr 4, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4520 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3454 |
| Mar 11, 2020 | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4477 |
| Apr 5, 2011 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-1966 |
| Aug 11, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1933 |
| Jun 14, 2008 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1768 |
| Mar 19, 2008 | Record Snow and Near Record Snow | Emergency | EM-3285 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3249 |
| Jun 18, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1526 |
| Jan 24, 2001 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3163 |
| Jun 24, 2000 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1332 |
| Aug 12, 1998 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1238 |
| Jul 7, 1997 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1180 |
| Jul 2, 1993 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-994 |
| Oct 7, 1986 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-775 |
| Aug 14, 1986 | Severe Storms | Major disaster | DR-770 |
| Jan 19, 1979 | Blizzards & Snowstorms | Emergency | EM-3069 |
| Mar 23, 1976 | Severe Storms, Icing, Wind & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-496 |
| Apr 27, 1973 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-376 |
| Jul 11, 1969 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-264 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Milwaukee had?
Since 1969, the federal government has issued 22 disaster or emergency declarations covering Milwaukee County, including 17 major disaster declarations. 13 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Milwaukee?
Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (Major disaster, declared June 30, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Milwaukee most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (8), severe storm (7), snowstorm (4) and biological (2).
New to Milwaukee? 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 Milwaukee 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.