Every federal disaster in Rochester since 1957
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Olmsted County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 19since 1957
- Major disasters
- 14the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 12declarations
- Most recent
- 2025Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Olmsted County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by cold wave. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2025 | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds | Major disaster | DR-4894 |
| Apr 7, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4531 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3453 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3503 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3508 |
| Jun 12, 2019 | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4442 |
| Oct 13, 2010 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1941 |
| Jul 2, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1921 |
| Aug 23, 2007 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1717 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3242 |
| Oct 7, 2004 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1569 |
| May 16, 2001 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1370 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-1225 |
| Dec 26, 1991 | Ice Storm | Major disaster | DR-929 |
| Jul 8, 1978 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Hail & Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-560 |
| Jun 17, 1976 | Drought | Emergency | EM-3013 |
| Jul 13, 1974 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-446 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-188 |
| Jun 22, 1957 | Floods | Major disaster | DR-80 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Rochester had?
Since 1957, the federal government has issued 19 disaster or emergency declarations covering Olmsted County, including 14 major disaster declarations. 12 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Rochester?
Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds (Major disaster, declared October 22, 2025).
What kinds of disasters hit Rochester most often?
By FEMA incident type: flood (5), severe storm (4), biological (4) and tornado (2).
New to Rochester? 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 Olmsted 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.