FEMADR-1609-FLMajor disasterDeclared October 24, 2005
DR-1609-FL: Florida Hurricane Wilma
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Florida (DR-1609-FL) on October 24, 2005 for the incident of October 23, 2005 to November 18, 2005; it covers 20 designated areas. FEMA had approved $342.3 million for 227,182 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $1.5 billion in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1609-FL (also written FEMA-1609-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Florida
- Incident
- Hurricane: Hurricane Wilma
- Incident period
- October 23, 2005 to November 18, 2005
- Declared
- October 24, 2005
- 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 third of 3 major disaster declarations for Florida in 2005
- Status
- open (not yet closed out by FEMA)
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- January 31, 2006
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Broward (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Charlotte (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Collier (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DeSoto (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Glades (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hardee (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Hendry (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Highlands (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Indian River (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lee (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Martin (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Miami-Dade (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monroe (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Okeechobee (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Osceola (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Palm Beach (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polk (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Sarasota (County) | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| St. Lucie (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?
227,182households approved for help (IHP)
$342.3 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$150.8 millionof it for housing
$191.5 millionof it for other needs
$1.5 billionPublic Assistance obligated
$146.2 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/1609. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on January 31, 2006.