FEMA dam/levee break disaster declarations
Incident type "Dam/Levee Break" · 6 declarations · 3 states and territories
FEMA has made 6 state declarations with incident type "Dam/Levee Break" since 1963: 4 major disasters, 2 emergencies. California has had the most (3). The busiest year was 2020 (2).
Declarations per year, 1963 to 2020
State declarations per calendar year of the declaration date.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026: one declaration per disaster number and state. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Which states have the most dam/levee break declarations?
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2).
The counties named in the most dam/levee break declarations
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2): distinct declarations that name the county.
The most recent dam/levee break declarations
| Declared | Number | State | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4547 | Michigan | Severe Storms and Flooding | 5 |
| 2020-05-21 | EM-3525 | Michigan | Severe Storms and Flooding | 2 |
| 2017-02-14 | EM-3381 | California | Potential Failure of the Emergency Spillway at Oroville Lake | 3 |
| 2004-06-30 | DR-1529 | California | Flooding As A Result of A Levee Break | 1 |
| 1973-05-08 | DR-379 | Colorado | Dam Failure | 1 |
| 1963-12-21 | DR-161 | California | Flood Due to Broken Dam | 1 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.