US states with the most disaster declarations
California has the most federally declared disasters of any US state, with 395 distinct declarations, followed by Texas (388) and Oklahoma (258). The ranking covers all 51 states and DC, 1953–2026, from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Counts are distinct declarations, not population- or area-adjusted.
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Data as of June 2026.
| Rank | State | Total declarations | Most common hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 395 | Fire |
| 2 | Texas | 388 | Fire |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 258 | Fire |
| 4 | Washington | 214 | Fire |
| 5 | Florida | 188 | Fire |
| 6 | Oregon | 166 | Fire |
| 7 | New Mexico | 125 | Fire |
| 8 | Arizona | 120 | Fire |
| 9 | New York | 118 | Severe Storm |
| 10 | Montana | 112 | Fire |
| 11 | Louisiana | 110 | Hurricane |
| 12 | Nevada | 110 | Fire |
| 13 | Colorado | 108 | Fire |
| 14 | Alabama | 102 | Severe Storm |
| 15 | Kentucky | 98 | Severe Storm |
| 16 | Tennessee | 97 | Severe Storm |
| 17 | Mississippi | 97 | Severe Storm |
| 18 | South Dakota | 96 | Severe Storm |
| 19 | Alaska | 94 | Fire |
| 20 | Kansas | 93 | Severe Storm |
| 21 | Arkansas | 87 | Severe Storm |
| 22 | Nebraska | 86 | Severe Storm |
| 23 | North Carolina | 85 | Hurricane |
| 24 | Missouri | 85 | Severe Storm |
| 25 | West Virginia | 84 | Flood |
| 26 | Georgia | 81 | Severe Storm |
| 27 | Minnesota | 81 | Flood |
| 28 | Iowa | 78 | Severe Storm |
| 29 | Virginia | 77 | Severe Storm |
| 30 | North Dakota | 75 | Flood |
| 31 | Hawaii | 71 | Fire |
| 32 | Maine | 71 | Severe Storm |
| 33 | Illinois | 68 | Severe Storm |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | 64 | Flood |
| 35 | New Hampshire | 63 | Severe Storm |
| 36 | Vermont | 62 | Severe Storm |
| 37 | Ohio | 60 | Severe Storm |
| 38 | Idaho | 59 | Fire |
| 39 | New Jersey | 59 | Severe Storm |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 58 | Hurricane |
| 41 | Utah | 56 | Fire |
| 42 | Wisconsin | 55 | Flood |
| 43 | Indiana | 54 | Severe Storm |
| 44 | South Carolina | 51 | Hurricane |
| 45 | Wyoming | 45 | Fire |
| 46 | Michigan | 45 | Flood |
| 47 | Connecticut | 43 | Hurricane |
| 48 | Maryland | 38 | Flood |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 31 | Hurricane |
| 50 | Delaware | 26 | Hurricane |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 24 | Severe Storm |
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Data as of June 2026.
How to read this ranking
A FEMA declaration is the federal government formally recognising that a disaster overwhelms state and local resources, unlocking federal assistance. The count here is of distinct declarations: a single declaration can list dozens of counties, but it is counted once. Because the figures are not adjusted for land area or population, large, hazard-prone states naturally rise to the top. See our guide on which states have the most disasters for the full context, and understanding FEMA declarations for what the different types mean.
Frequently asked questions
Which US state has the most federally declared disasters?
California has the most, with 395 distinct FEMA disaster declarations, followed by Texas (388) and Oklahoma (258).
How many disaster declarations have there been in the US?
FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries record 5,192 distinct declarations across the states and territories from 1953 to 2026.
Why do bigger states have more declarations?
Larger and more populous states span more counties and more varied terrain, so a single weather system can trigger more declarations, and they simply experience more events over time. The count is not adjusted for area or population — it is the raw number of federal declarations.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by FEMA. Factual public-data summary for general information only.
Last updated: 2026-06-18