FEMADR-1491-VAMajor disasterDeclared September 18, 2003
DR-1491-VA: Virginia Hurricane Isabel
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Virginia (DR-1491-VA) on September 18, 2003 for the incident of September 18, 2003 to October 1, 2003; it covers 100 designated areas. FEMA had approved $57.0 million for 29,170 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $204.9 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1491-VA (also written FEMA-1491-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Virginia
- Incident
- Hurricane: Hurricane Isabel
- Incident period
- September 18, 2003 to October 1, 2003
- Declared
- September 18, 2003
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 3
- Place in the year
- the second of 3 major disaster declarations for Virginia in 2003
- Status
- closed out on September 25, 2013
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- December 8, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accomack (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Albemarle (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alexandria | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amelia (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Amherst (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Appomattox (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Arlington (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Augusta (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bedford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bedford (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brunswick (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buckingham (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buena Vista | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Campbell (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caroline (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charles City (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charlotte (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charlottesville | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chesapeake | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chesterfield (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clarke (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colonial Heights | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Culpeper (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cumberland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Danville | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dinwiddie (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Emporia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Essex (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fairfax | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fairfax (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Falls Church | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fauquier (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fluvanna (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Franklin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frederick (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fredericksburg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gloucester (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Goochland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Greene (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Greensville (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Halifax (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hampton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hanover (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Harrisonburg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Henrico (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Highland (County) | — | — | Yes | — |
| Hopewell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Isle of Wight (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| James City (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| King George (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| King William (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| King and Queen (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lancaster (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Loudoun (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Louisa (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lunenburg (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lynchburg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Madison (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manassas | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Manassas Park | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mathews (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mecklenburg (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Middlesex (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nelson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New Kent (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Newport News | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Norfolk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Northampton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Northumberland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nottoway (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Orange (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Page (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Petersburg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pittsylvania (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Poquoson | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Portsmouth | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Powhatan (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prince Edward (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prince George (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prince William (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rappahannock (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Richmond | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Richmond (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rockbridge (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rockingham (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shenandoah (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Southampton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spotsylvania (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stafford (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Staunton | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Suffolk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Surry (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sussex (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Virginia Beach | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warren (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waynesboro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Westmoreland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Williamsburg | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Winchester | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| York (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?
29,170households approved for help (IHP)
$57.0 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$33.9 millionof it for housing
$23.1 millionof it for other needs
$204.9 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$16.4 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.
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/1491. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on December 8, 2003.