Every federal disaster in Ontario since 1954
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered San Bernardino County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 86since 1954
- Major disasters
- 55the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 55declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Bridge Fire
FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Bernardino County's overall natural hazard risk very high, led by wildfire, inland flooding and earthquake. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2024 | Bridge Fire | Fire management | FM-5537 |
| Sep 7, 2024 | Line Fire | Fire management | FM-5535 |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4772 |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-4773 |
| Oct 18, 2023 | Tropical Storm Hilary | Major disaster | DR-4746 |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Tropical Storm Hilary | Major disaster | DR-4743 |
| May 25, 2023 | Severe Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4714 |
| May 18, 2023 | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4713 |
| Apr 25, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4707 |
| Apr 3, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4699 |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Emergency | EM-3592 |
| Mar 8, 2023 | Earthquake | Major disaster | DR-4692 |
| Jan 9, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | Emergency | EM-3591 |
| Oct 26, 2020 | Blue Ridge Fire | Fire management | FM-5381 |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Wildfires | Major disaster | DR-4569 |
| Sep 6, 2020 | El Dorado Fire | Fire management | FM-5350 |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Apple Fire | Fire management | FM-5325 |
| Mar 22, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4482 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3428 |
| Oct 31, 2019 | Hillside Fire | Fire management | FM-5301 |
| Jul 8, 2019 | Earthquakes | Emergency | EM-3415 |
| Apr 8, 2019 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4425 |
| Mar 28, 2019 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4423 |
| Mar 26, 2019 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4422 |
| May 2, 2017 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4312 |
| Feb 14, 2017 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-4302 |
| Aug 16, 2016 | Blue Cut Fire | Fire management | FM-5147 |
| Aug 8, 2016 | Pilot Fire | Fire management | FM-5144 |
| Jul 17, 2015 | North Fire | Fire management | FM-5089 |
| Jan 27, 2015 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4206 |
| Aug 29, 2013 | Wildfire | Major disaster | DR-4142 |
| Sep 2, 2011 | Hill Fire | Fire management | FM-2955 |
| Jan 26, 2011 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows | Major disaster | DR-1952 |
| Mar 8, 2010 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows | Major disaster | DR-1884 |
| Oct 4, 2009 | Sheep Fire | Fire management | FM-2841 |
| Sep 1, 2009 | Pendleton Fire | Fire management | FM-2836 |
| Aug 31, 2009 | Oak Glen Fire | Fire management | FM-2833 |
| Nov 15, 2008 | Freeway Fire Complex | Fire management | FM-2792 |
| Oct 24, 2007 | Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows | Major disaster | DR-1731 |
| Oct 23, 2007 | Wildfires | Emergency | EM-3279 |
| Oct 22, 2007 | Grass Valley Fire | Fire management | FM-2738 |
| Sep 15, 2007 | Butler 2 Fire | Fire management | FM-2728 |
| Mar 13, 2007 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-1689 |
| Jul 12, 2006 | Sawtooth Fire Complex | Fire management | FM-2653 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3248 |
| Apr 14, 2005 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows | Major disaster | DR-1585 |
| Feb 4, 2005 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-1577 |
| Oct 27, 2003 | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T | Major disaster | DR-1498 |
| Oct 25, 2003 | Old Fire | Fire management | FM-2503 |
| Oct 23, 2003 | Ca-Grand Prix Fire-10-23-2003 | Fire management | FM-2501 |
| Sep 6, 2003 | Ca-Bridge Fire-09-05-2003 | Fire management | FM-2497 |
| Aug 19, 2003 | Ca-Locust Wildfire-08-19-2003 | Fire management | FM-2491 |
| Sep 24, 2002 | Williams Fire | Fire management | FM-2464 |
| Jun 27, 2002 | Louisiana Fire | Fire management | FM-2433 |
| Jun 17, 2002 | Bluecut Fire | Fire management | FM-2425 |
| Sep 1, 1999 | Ca-Wildfires-08/25/1999 | Emergency | EM-3140 |
| Feb 9, 1998 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1203 |
| Mar 12, 1995 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow | Major disaster | DR-1046 |
| Jan 10, 1995 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows | Major disaster | DR-1044 |
| Oct 28, 1993 | Fires, Mud/Landslides, Flooding, Soil Erosion | Major disaster | DR-1005 |
| Feb 3, 1993 | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-979 |
| Jul 2, 1992 | Earthquake & Aftershocks | Major disaster | DR-947 |
| Feb 25, 1992 | Rain/Snow/Wind Storms, Flooding, Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-935 |
| Feb 11, 1991 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-894 |
| Jun 30, 1990 | Fires | Major disaster | DR-872 |
| Sep 22, 1983 | Flash Flooding | Major disaster | DR-690 |
| Jul 1, 1983 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-687 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-677 |
| Nov 27, 1980 | Brush & Timber Fires | Major disaster | DR-635 |
| Feb 21, 1980 | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-615 |
| Feb 15, 1978 | Coastal Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-547 |
| Sep 21, 1976 | Flooding, Tropical Storm Kathleen | Major disaster | DR-521 |
| Sep 29, 1970 | Forest & Brush Fires | Major disaster | DR-295 |
| Jan 26, 1969 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-253 |
| Jan 2, 1967 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-223 |
| Dec 7, 1965 | Heavy Rains & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-211 |
| Apr 1, 1964 | Seismic Sea Wave | Major disaster | DR-169 |
| Dec 21, 1963 | Flood Due to Broken Dam | Major disaster | DR-161 |
| Feb 25, 1963 | Severe Storms, Heavy Rains & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-145 |
| Oct 24, 1962 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-138 |
| Mar 6, 1962 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-122 |
| Nov 16, 1961 | Fire (Los Angeles County) | Major disaster | DR-119 |
| Apr 4, 1958 | Heavy Rainstorms & Flood | Major disaster | DR-82 |
| Dec 29, 1956 | Forest Fire | Major disaster | DR-65 |
| Dec 23, 1955 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-47 |
| Feb 5, 1954 | Flood & Erosion | Major disaster | DR-15 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Ontario had?
Since 1954, the federal government has issued 86 disaster or emergency declarations covering San Bernardino County, including 55 major disaster declarations. 55 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Ontario?
Bridge Fire (Fire management, declared September 11, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit Ontario most often?
By FEMA incident type: fire (36), flood (20), severe storm (16) and earthquake (3).
New to Ontario? 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 San Bernardino 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.