Every federal disaster in New York since 1954
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Queens County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 33since 1954
- Major disasters
- 21the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 22declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Severe Storm and Flooding
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Queens County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by inland flooding, coastal flooding and heat wave. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2024 | Severe Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4818 |
| Sep 5, 2021 | Remnants of Hurricane Ida | Major disaster | DR-4615 |
| Sep 2, 2021 | Remnants of Hurricane Ida | Emergency | EM-3572 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Hurricane Henri | Emergency | EM-3565 |
| Oct 2, 2020 | Tropical Storm Isaias | Major disaster | DR-4567 |
| Mar 20, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4480 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3434 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3504 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3557 |
| Oct 30, 2012 | Hurricane Sandy | Major disaster | DR-4085 |
| Oct 28, 2012 | Hurricane Sandy | Emergency | EM-3351 |
| Aug 31, 2011 | Hurricane Irene | Major disaster | DR-4020 |
| Aug 26, 2011 | Hurricane Irene | Emergency | EM-3328 |
| Feb 18, 2011 | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm | Major disaster | DR-1957 |
| Oct 14, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | Major disaster | DR-1943 |
| Aug 31, 2007 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornado | Major disaster | DR-1724 |
| Sep 30, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3262 |
| Aug 3, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1534 |
| Aug 23, 2003 | Power Outage | Emergency | EM-3186 |
| Mar 27, 2003 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3184 |
| Sep 11, 2001 | Fires and Explosions | Major disaster | DR-1391 |
| Oct 11, 2000 | West Nile Virus | Emergency | EM-3155 |
| Jan 12, 1996 | Blizzard of 96 (Severe Snow Storm) | Major disaster | DR-1083 |
| Mar 17, 1993 | Severe Blizzard | Emergency | EM-3107 |
| Apr 17, 1984 | Coastal Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-702 |
| Oct 2, 1975 | Storms, Rains, Landslides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-487 |
| Sep 13, 1971 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-311 |
| Aug 18, 1965 | Water Shortage | Major disaster | DR-204 |
| Aug 23, 1963 | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-158 |
| Mar 16, 1962 | Severe Storm, High Tides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-129 |
| Mar 29, 1956 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-52 |
| Aug 22, 1955 | Hurricane & Floods | Major disaster | DR-45 |
| Oct 7, 1954 | Hurricanes | Major disaster | DR-26 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has New York had?
Since 1954, the federal government has issued 33 disaster or emergency declarations covering Queens County, including 21 major disaster declarations. 22 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in New York?
Severe Storm and Flooding (Major disaster, declared September 20, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit New York most often?
By FEMA incident type: hurricane (11), flood (6), biological (4) and snowstorm (3).
New to New York? 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 Queens 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.