TOPEKA, September 16 — Kansas has averaged three federal disaster declarations a year over the most recent five full years of Federal Emergency Management Agency data, and the state has already matched that pace in 2026, according to a USAFacts answer page updated September 14. The page, part of USAFacts’ Environment section and refreshed monthly, lists three figures in a chart titled “State disasters by type over time”: the three-declaration annual average, five declarations for the full year 2025, and three declarations in 2026 as of September 3.
The 2025 count ran above the average; the 2026 year-to-date count sits level with it.
What a declaration actually unlocks
A disaster declaration is not simply a recognition that something went wrong. It is a formal request for federal aid, filed when state, local or tribal resources are overwhelmed. The president approves these declarations upon determining that federal support is necessary.
USAFacts identifies two primary types. A major disaster declaration covers hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, landslides, mudslides, droughts, explosions and other severe natural events, and typically involves widespread damage requiring long-term recovery.
An emergency declaration is issued when the president determines federal assistance is needed to protect lives, property, or public health and safety. Aid under an emergency declaration is capped at $5 million and is directed at urgent crises, which can include public health emergencies such as COVID-19, terrorist attacks, power outages, or events tied to natural disasters. A third category, fire management, applies to managing and suppressing either a single large blaze or multiple smaller fires.
Why the annual tally moves
Declarations vary for reasons that have little to do with any single weather season. USAFacts points to the type and severity of disasters, whether the president approves requests for federal assistance, and other factors. The source material does not specify which events accounted for the three 2026 declarations as of September 3, nor which events produced the five declarations in 2025.
It also provides no breakdown of Kansas declarations by type, no list of specific disaster events, dates or counties affected, and no national comparison or state ranking. The number of declarations in Kansas before 2021 is not given.
The annual average of three is drawn from the most recent five full years of FEMA data, which would cover 2021 through 2025, though the source does not explicitly list those years.
What to watch
Because the USAFacts page is refreshed monthly, the 2026 count could still change before the year closes. The next update will show whether Kansas holds at its long-run average or moves above it, as it did in 2025. The page is published by USAFacts, an organization founded by Steve Ballmer, and forms part of a broader series on how many disasters are declared across the United States.
