FEMADR-1486-NYMajor disasterDeclared August 29, 2003
DR-1486-NY: New York Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for New York (DR-1486-NY) on August 29, 2003 for the incident of July 21, 2003 to August 13, 2003; it covers 17 designated areas. FEMA had approved $1.8 million for 901 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $23.7 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1486-NY (also written FEMA-1486-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- New York
- Incident
- Severe Storm: Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
- Incident period
- July 21, 2003 to August 13, 2003
- Declared
- August 29, 2003
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 2
- Place in the year
- the second of 2 major disaster declarations for New York in 2003
- Status
- closed out on July 31, 2012
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- October 28, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cattaraugus (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chemung (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Columbia (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Delaware (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fulton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Greene (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Livingston (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Madison (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Montgomery (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ontario (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rensselaer (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Schuyler (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steuben (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sullivan (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Wyoming (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Yates (County) | Yes | Yes | 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?
901households approved for help (IHP)
$1.8 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$1.6 millionof it for housing
$241,366of it for other needs
$23.7 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$1.5 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of October 1, 2026, 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.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1486. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on October 28, 2003.