When a disaster happens, the response includes actions like warning and evacuating people, rescuing those in danger, and quickly providing food, shelter, and medical care.

Feb 27, 2025 · Learn about the formal disaster declaration process, disaster types, how FEMA gets involved, and other resources.

Nov 24, 2025 · Disaster, any natural or human-generated calamitous event that produces great loss of human life or destruction of the natural environment, private property, or public infrastructure.

Disaster has its roots in the belief that the positions of stars influence the fate of humans, often in destructive ways; its original meaning in English was "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star."

Oct 31, 2025 · Know what disasters and hazards could affect your area, how to get emergency alerts, and where you would go if you and your family need to evacuate. Make sure your family has a plan …

A slow-onset disaster is defined as one that emerges gradually over time. Slow-onset disasters could be associated with, e.g., drought, desertification, sea-level rise, epidemic disease. A sudden-onset …

Disasters are serious disruptions to the functioning of a community that exceed its capacity to cope using its own resources. Disasters can be caused by natural, man-made and technological hazards, …

Below is a list of states where a disaster has been declared for Individual Assistance by FEMA. Select a state to see if your county is in a declared area and apply online for assistance.

Idiom a disaster waiting to happen (Definition of disaster from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

1. a calamitous event, esp. one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure. 2. Obs. an unfavorable aspect of a star or planet.