Every federal disaster in Ventura since 1954
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Ventura County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 78since 1954
- Major disasters
- 54the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 49declarations
- Most recent
- 2026Sandy Fire
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ventura County's overall natural hazard risk relatively high, led by inland flooding, wildfire and earthquake. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | Sandy Fire | Fire management | FM-5635 |
| Nov 6, 2024 | Mountain Fire | Fire management | FM-5545 |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4772 |
| Apr 19, 2024 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-4773 |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4769 |
| 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 8, 2023 | Earthquake | Major disaster | DR-4692 |
| Jan 14, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4683 |
| Jan 9, 2023 | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | Emergency | EM-3591 |
| Mar 22, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4482 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3428 |
| Nov 1, 2019 | Maria Fire | Fire management | FM-5302 |
| Oct 30, 2019 | Easy Fire | Fire management | FM-5298 |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Saddleridge Fire | Fire management | FM-5293 |
| 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 |
| Nov 12, 2018 | Wildfires | Major disaster | DR-4407 |
| Nov 9, 2018 | Woolsey Fire | Fire management | FM-5280 |
| Nov 9, 2018 | Wildfires | Emergency | EM-3409 |
| Nov 8, 2018 | Hill Fire | Fire management | FM-5279 |
| Jan 2, 2018 | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows | Major disaster | DR-4353 |
| Dec 8, 2017 | Wildfires | Emergency | EM-3396 |
| Dec 5, 2017 | Thomas Fire | Fire management | FM-5224 |
| May 2, 2017 | Flooding | Major disaster | DR-4312 |
| Feb 14, 2017 | Severe Winter Storm | Major disaster | DR-4302 |
| Jan 27, 2015 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4206 |
| Aug 29, 2013 | Wildfire | Major disaster | DR-4142 |
| May 2, 2013 | Springs Fire | Fire management | FM-5024 |
| Sep 22, 2009 | Guiberson Fire | Fire management | FM-2839 |
| Oct 24, 2007 | Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows | Major disaster | DR-1731 |
| Oct 23, 2007 | Wildfires | Emergency | EM-3279 |
| Oct 22, 2007 | Ranch Fire | Fire management | FM-2736 |
| Mar 13, 2007 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-1689 |
| Dec 3, 2006 | Shekell Fire | Fire management | FM-2681 |
| Sep 26, 2006 | Day Fire | Fire management | FM-2677 |
| Nov 18, 2005 | School Fire | Fire management | FM-2586 |
| Sep 28, 2005 | Topanga Fire | Fire management | FM-2583 |
| 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 26, 2003 | Simi Fire | Fire management | FM-2504 |
| Oct 25, 2003 | Ca-Verdale Fire 10-25-2003 | Fire management | FM-2502 |
| Feb 9, 1999 | Ca-Citrus Crop Damage 2/2/99 | Major disaster | DR-1267 |
| Feb 9, 1998 | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-1203 |
| Oct 23, 1996 | Severe Firestorms | Emergency | EM-3120 |
| 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 |
| Jan 17, 1994 | Northridge Earthquake | Major disaster | DR-1008 |
| 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 |
| Feb 25, 1992 | Rain/Snow/Wind Storms, Flooding, Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-935 |
| Feb 11, 1991 | Severe Freeze | Major disaster | DR-894 |
| Feb 5, 1988 | Severe Storms, High Tides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-812 |
| Jul 18, 1985 | Grass, Wildlands, & Forest Fires | Major disaster | DR-739 |
| Feb 9, 1983 | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes | Major disaster | DR-677 |
| Feb 21, 1980 | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-615 |
| Feb 15, 1978 | Coastal Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-547 |
| Feb 8, 1973 | Severe Storms, High Tides & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-364 |
| Sep 29, 1970 | Forest & Brush Fires | Major disaster | DR-295 |
| Jan 26, 1969 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-253 |
| 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 Ventura had?
Since 1954, the federal government has issued 78 disaster or emergency declarations covering Ventura County, including 54 major disaster declarations. 49 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Ventura?
Sandy Fire (Fire management, declared May 18, 2026).
What kinds of disasters hit Ventura most often?
By FEMA incident type: fire (31), flood (17), severe storm (16) and freezing (3).
New to Ventura? 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 Ventura 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.