Every federal disaster in Orlando since 1953
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Orange County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 55since 1953
- Major disasters
- 31the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 37declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Hurricane Milton
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Orange County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by tornado, strong wind and lightning. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2024 | Hurricane Milton | Major disaster | DR-4844 |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Hurricane Milton | Major disaster | DR-4834 |
| Oct 8, 2024 | Hurricane Milton | Emergency | EM-3623 |
| Oct 7, 2024 | Hurricane Milton | Emergency | EM-3622 |
| Aug 10, 2024 | Hurricane Debby | Major disaster | DR-4806 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | Tropical Storm Debby | Emergency | EM-3605 |
| Aug 31, 2023 | Hurricane Idalia | Major disaster | DR-4734 |
| Aug 28, 2023 | Tropical Storm Idalia | Emergency | EM-3596 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | Hurricane Nicole | Major disaster | DR-4680 |
| Nov 9, 2022 | Seminole Tribe of Florida Tropical Storm Nicole | Emergency | EM-3588 |
| Nov 8, 2022 | Tropical Storm Nicole | Emergency | EM-3587 |
| Sep 30, 2022 | Hurricane Ian - Seminole Tribe of Florida | Major disaster | DR-4675 |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Hurricane Ian | Major disaster | DR-4673 |
| Sep 24, 2022 | Tropical Storm Ian | Emergency | EM-3584 |
| Aug 1, 2020 | Hurricane Isaias | Emergency | EM-3533 |
| May 8, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4545 |
| Mar 25, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4486 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3432 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3468 |
| Aug 31, 2019 | Hurricane Dorian | Emergency | EM-3420 |
| Aug 30, 2019 | Hurricane Dorian | Emergency | EM-3419 |
| Sep 27, 2017 | Hurricane Irma - Seminole Tribe of Florida | Major disaster | DR-4341 |
| Sep 10, 2017 | Hurricane Irma | Major disaster | DR-4337 |
| Sep 8, 2017 | Hurricane Irma | Emergency | EM-3388 |
| Sep 5, 2017 | Hurricane Irma | Emergency | EM-3385 |
| Oct 8, 2016 | Hurricane Matthew | Major disaster | DR-4283 |
| Oct 6, 2016 | Hurricane Matthew | Emergency | EM-3377 |
| Aug 24, 2008 | Tropical Storm Fay | Major disaster | DR-1785 |
| Aug 21, 2008 | Tropical Storm Fay | Emergency | EM-3288 |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3220 |
| Sep 26, 2004 | Hurricane Jeanne | Major disaster | DR-1561 |
| Sep 16, 2004 | Hurricane Ivan | Major disaster | DR-1551 |
| Sep 4, 2004 | Hurricane Frances | Major disaster | DR-1545 |
| Aug 13, 2004 | Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley | Major disaster | DR-1539 |
| Apr 17, 2001 | Fl - Orlando Complex Fire | Fire management | FM-2357 |
| Feb 5, 2001 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-1359 |
| May 28, 2000 | Fl, Orlando District Fire Complex | Fire management | FM-2301 |
| Oct 20, 1999 | Fl-Hurricane Irene-Dr-Req | Major disaster | DR-1306 |
| Oct 15, 1999 | Tropical Storm Irene - Florida | Emergency | EM-3150 |
| Apr 27, 1999 | Fl-Fires 04/15/99 | Emergency | EM-3139 |
| Apr 15, 1999 | Fl-Fires 04/13/99 | Fire management | FM-2253 |
| Jun 18, 1998 | Extreme Fire Hazard | Major disaster | DR-1223 |
| Jan 6, 1998 | Severe Storms, High Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1195 |
| Aug 3, 1995 | Hurricane Erin | Emergency | EM-3116 |
| Jul 8, 1994 | Tropical Storm Alberto | Emergency | EM-3114 |
| Jan 15, 1990 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-851 |
| Mar 18, 1985 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-732 |
| Mar 29, 1984 | Freezing Temperatures | Major disaster | DR-698 |
| Jan 31, 1977 | Severe Winter Weather | Major disaster | DR-526 |
| Sep 10, 1964 | Hurricane Dora | Major disaster | DR-176 |
| Sep 8, 1964 | Hurricane Cleo | Major disaster | DR-175 |
| Dec 17, 1962 | Abnormally High Tides | Major disaster | DR-141 |
| Sep 12, 1960 | Hurricane Donna | Major disaster | DR-106 |
| Mar 23, 1960 | Severe Weather Conditions | Major disaster | DR-97 |
| Oct 22, 1953 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-12 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Orlando had?
Since 1953, the federal government has issued 55 disaster or emergency declarations covering Orange County, including 31 major disaster declarations. 37 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Orlando?
Hurricane Milton (Major disaster, declared November 5, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit Orlando most often?
By FEMA incident type: hurricane (29), freezing (5), fire (5) and tropical storm (5).
New to Orlando? 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 Orange 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.