FEMADR-1261-ALMajor disasterDeclared January 15, 1999
DR-1261-AL: Alabama Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Alabama (DR-1261-AL) on January 15, 1999 for the incident of December 23, 1998 to December 29, 1998; it covers 12 designated areas. FEMA had approved obligated $5.7 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1261-AL (also written FEMA-1261-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Alabama
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Riv-Severe Winter Wx 12/23/98
- Incident period
- December 23, 1998 to December 29, 1998
- Declared
- January 15, 1999
- Programs declared
- Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the only major disaster declaration for Alabama in 1999
- Status
- closed out on August 19, 2008
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Which areas are covered, and for what?
| Designated area | Individuals and Households | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colbert (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Cullman (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Fayette (County) | — | Yes | — |
| Franklin (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Lamar (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Lauderdale (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Lawrence (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Limestone (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Madison (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Marion (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Morgan (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Winston (County) | — | Yes | Yes |
An area can be added to a declaration after the first day, or have a program added: this table is FEMA's current list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
How much has FEMA approved?
$5.7 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$1.1 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of n/a, public assistance as of May 17, 2026. FEMA updates both as applications are decided.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2); FEMA, OpenFEMA FEMA Web Disaster Summaries (v1). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1261. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.