FEMADR-4518-ARMajor disasterDeclared April 3, 2020
DR-4518-AR: Arkansas Covid-19 Pandemic
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Arkansas (DR-4518-AR) on April 3, 2020 for the incident of January 20, 2020 to May 11, 2023; it covers 76 designated areas. FEMA had approved $33.7 million for 5,463 households through the Individuals and Households Program (as of October 1, 2026) and obligated $247.3 million in Public Assistance (as of August 6, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-4518-AR (also written FEMA-4518-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Arkansas
- Incident
- Biological: Covid-19 Pandemic
- Incident period
- January 20, 2020 to May 11, 2023
- Declared
- April 3, 2020
- Programs declared
- Individuals and Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 6
- Place in the year
- the first of 3 major disaster declarations for Arkansas in 2020
- Status
- open (not yet closed out by FEMA)
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- September 30, 2025
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 | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ashley (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Baxter (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Benton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boone (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bradley (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calhoun (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Carroll (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chicot (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clark (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clay (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cleburne (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cleveland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Columbia (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Conway (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Craighead (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crawford (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crittenden (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cross (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dallas (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desha (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drew (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Faulkner (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Franklin (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fulton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Garland (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grant (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Greene (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hempstead (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot Spring (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Howard (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Independence (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Izard (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jackson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jefferson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Johnson (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lafayette (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lawrence (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lee (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lincoln (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Little River (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Logan (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lonoke (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Madison (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Marion (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Miller (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mississippi (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monroe (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Montgomery (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nevada (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Newton (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ouachita (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ozark Test Tribe | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Perry (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Phillips (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pike (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Poinsett (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Polk (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pope (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Prairie (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pulaski (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Randolph (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saline (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scott (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Searcy (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sebastian (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sevier (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sharp (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| St. Francis (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stone (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Union (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Van Buren (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Washington (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| White (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Woodruff (County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yell (County) | 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?
5,463households approved for help (IHP)
$33.7 millionIndividuals and Households Program approved
$33.7 millionof it for other needs
$247.3 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$3.4 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of October 1, 2026, public assistance as of August 6, 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/4518. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application. Registration for individual help closed on September 30, 2025.