FEMADR-1492-MDMajor disasterDeclared September 19, 2003
DR-1492-MD: Maryland Hurricane Isabel
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Maryland (DR-1492-MD) on September 19, 2003 for the incident of September 18, 2003 to September 29, 2003; it covers 24 designated areas. FEMA had approved $33.1 million for 8,686 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $40.7 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1492-MD (also written FEMA-1492-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Maryland
- Incident
- Hurricane: Hurricane Isabel
- Incident period
- September 18, 2003 to September 29, 2003
- Declared
- September 19, 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 only major disaster declaration for Maryland in 2003
- Status
- closed out on November 9, 2011
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegany (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Anne Arundel (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Baltimore | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Baltimore (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calvert (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caroline (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Carroll (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cecil (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charles (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dorchester (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frederick (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garrett (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Harford (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Howard (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kent (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Montgomery (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prince George's (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Queen Anne's (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Somerset (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| St. Mary's (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Talbot (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Washington (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wicomico (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Worcester (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?
8,686households approved for help (IHP)
$33.1 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$23.1 millionof it for housing
$9.9 millionof it for other needs
$40.7 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$5.3 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/1492. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on December 8, 2003.