FEMADR-1505-CAMajor disasterDeclared January 13, 2004
DR-1505-CA: California Earthquake
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for California (DR-1505-CA) on January 13, 2004 for the incident of December 22, 2003 to February 6, 2004; it covers 2 designated areas. FEMA had approved $8.1 million for 3,415 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $47.8 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1505-CA (also written FEMA-1505-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- California
- Incident
- Earthquake: Earthquake
- Incident period
- December 22, 2003 to February 6, 2004
- Declared
- January 13, 2004
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 9
- Place in the year
- the first of 2 major disaster declarations for California in 2004
- Status
- closed out on December 17, 2018
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- March 15, 2004
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Santa Barbara (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?
3,415households approved for help (IHP)
$8.1 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$7.8 millionof it for housing
$299,731of it for other needs
$47.8 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$2.2 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/1505. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on March 15, 2004.