FEMADR-1553-NCMajor disasterDeclared September 18, 2004
DR-1553-NC: North Carolina Hurricane Ivan
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for North Carolina (DR-1553-NC) on September 18, 2004 for the incident of September 16, 2004 to September 23, 2004; it covers 29 designated areas. FEMA had approved $13.4 million for 4,010 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $32.7 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1553-NC (also written FEMA-1553-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- North Carolina
- Incident
- Hurricane: Hurricane Ivan
- Incident period
- September 16, 2004 to September 23, 2004
- Declared
- September 18, 2004
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 4
- Place in the year
- the second of 2 major disaster declarations for North Carolina in 2004
- Status
- open (not yet closed out by FEMA)
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- December 17, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Alleghany (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Ashe (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Avery (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buncombe (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Burke (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caldwell (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caswell (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Davidson (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Forsyth (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Graham (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Guilford (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Haywood (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Henderson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jackson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Macon (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Madison (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| McDowell (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mitchell (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polk (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Randolph (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Rockingham (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Rutherford (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stokes (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Swain (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transylvania (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watauga (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wilkes (County) | Yes | Yes | — | Yes |
| Yancey (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?
4,010households approved for help (IHP)
$13.4 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$10.0 millionof it for housing
$3.3 millionof it for other needs
$32.7 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$924,963Hazard 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/1553. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on December 17, 2004.