Major disaster declarations often come in batches, weeks or months after the damage, once states have finished their damage surveys. October 7, 2026 was one of the biggest days of the year, with nine major disaster declarations, according to FEMA records.
The October 7 declarations
| State | Event | When it happened | Counties or areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Severe storms and tornadoes | July 27 | Forest, Outagamie, Vilas, Winnebago |
| West Virginia | Severe storms and flooding | August 14 to 18 | Fayette, Harrison, Kanawha |
| Oklahoma | Severe storm and straight-line winds | July 4 | Cleveland, Nowata, Osage, Washington |
| Utah | Cottonwood Fire, flooding and mudslides | July 13 to 24 | Beaver, Piute |
| New Hampshire | Severe storm and flooding | June 10 to 11 | Carroll |
| New Mexico | Severe storms and flooding | July 16 to 21 | Zuni Pueblo |
| Hawaii | Hurricane Lala | August 14 to 16 | Hawaii, Honolulu, Maui |
| Hawaii | Hurricane Lowell | September 6 to 9 | Kauai, Maui |
| Guam | Super Typhoon Bavi | July 4 to 12 | Guam |
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
Help for households in some, not all
Only some of these declarations include Individual Assistance, which lets residents apply for FEMA grants:
- Wisconsin, West Virginia, New Mexico (Zuni Pueblo) and Guam include help for households.
- The others provide Public Assistance only, which pays for debris removal and public repairs.
If you live in one of these areas, check DisasterAssistance.gov with your address. See our guide on what a FEMA disaster declaration pays for.
Why declarations take so long
The gap between a storm and its declaration can be months. Local and state officials first total up the damage. FEMA then checks it against thresholds based on the state’s population and per-county damage. Only then does the request go to the President.
Summer storms across the middle of the country
The October batch followed an even bigger one on September 1, when storms from the summer brought major disaster declarations for Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kentucky and Texas, plus Colorado for wildfires and mudslides.
Questions people ask
Is my county on the list? Every county page on this site lists its federal declarations, newest first. Search your county from the home page.
Do declarations cover damage from months ago? Yes. The declaration covers the incident period, even if it is approved much later.
What is the difference between Individual and Public Assistance? Individual Assistance goes to households. Public Assistance goes to state and local governments and some nonprofits.