How many disasters are declared in ?

Updated Apr. 29, 2026Refreshed monthly
On average, seven disasters are declared per year. This figure is based on the most recent 5 full years of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data.
As of March, there have been six disaster declarations in Oklahoma in 2026. In 2025, there were 17 declarations.
A disaster declaration is more than just recognizing an event—it's a formal request for federal aid when state, local, or tribal resources are overwhelmed. The president approves these declarations when they determine that federal support is necessary.
Declarations vary due to the type and severity of disasters, whether the president approves requests for federal assistance, and other factors.

6

disasters have been declared so far in Oklahoma in 2026

17

disasters have been declared in Oklahoma in 2025

7

disasters have been declared yearly on average (2021–2025)
The primary two disaster declarations are major disaster and emergency.
  • A major disaster declaration applies to hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, landslides, mudslides, droughts, explosions, and other severe natural events. These typically cause widespread damage requiring long-term recovery efforts.
  • An emergency declaration is issued when the president determines federal assistance is needed to protect lives, property, or public health and safety. Aid is capped at $5 million and is for urgent crises. These can include public health emergencies (such as COVID-19), terrorist attacks, power outages, or events related to natural disasters.
A third type of declaration, fire management, applies to managing and suppressing either a single large blaze or multiple smaller fires. While fires can also be part of major disasters or emergencies, fire management is a separate category because the declaration process differs: instead of the longer timelines for other declarations, these expedited decisions are usually made within a few hours.
The president must approve all declarations. The federal aid available depends on what kind of disaster is declared. In most cases, governors request these declarations, though tribal nations may also submit requests independently.

Oklahoma declared 41 disasters in the last 5 years.

Number of disaster declarations by disaster incident type, January 1980–March 2026

Ask the data
Beta

We use AI to summarize the data, charts, and analysis we have on USAFacts

What is the most common disaster in Oklahoma?

In the last 5 years, fires have been 30 out of the state's 41 disasters, making them the most common declaration in that time frame.
In 2020, Oklahoma accounted for 17 disasters that year. States can have multiple declarations for a single disaster event: both by the state and Native American tribes, and for disaster and emergency declarations.
Since 1980, fires have accounted for 133 (57.3%) of all disaster declarations in Oklahoma, the highest of any disaster type. In that same time frame, there have been 232 total declarations across nine disaster categories.

Since 1980, there have been 255 disaster declarations in Oklahoma.

Since 1980, there have been 255 disaster declarations in Oklahoma.

Keep exploring

Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.