FEMADR-1439-TXMajor disasterDeclared November 5, 2002
DR-1439-TX: Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Texas (DR-1439-TX) on November 5, 2002 for the incident of October 24, 2002 to November 15, 2002; it covers 18 designated areas. FEMA had approved $58.0 million for 19,827 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1439-TX (also written FEMA-1439-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Texas
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
- Incident period
- October 24, 2002 to November 15, 2002
- Declared
- November 5, 2002
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 6
- Place in the year
- the third of 3 major disaster declarations for Texas in 2002
- Status
- closed out on March 26, 2013
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- February 7, 2003
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 | Individual Assistance (older program) | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aransas (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Brazoria (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Cameron (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Fort Bend (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Hardin (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Harris (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Hidalgo (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Jasper (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Jefferson (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Jim Wells (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Kleberg (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Liberty (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Montgomery (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Nueces (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Orange (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| San Jacinto (County) | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| San Patricio (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Walker (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?
19,827households approved for help (IHP)
$58.0 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$31.7 millionof it for housing
$26.3 millionof it for other needs
$7.2 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of October 1, 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.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1439. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on February 7, 2003.