FEMADR-623-WAMajor disasterDeclared May 21, 1980
DR-623-WA: Washington Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Washington (DR-623-WA) on May 21, 1980 for the incident of May 21, 1980 to May 21, 1980; it covers 39 designated areas.
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-623-WA (also written FEMA-623-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Washington
- Incident
- Volcanic Eruption: Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens
- Incident period
- May 21, 1980 to May 21, 1980
- Declared
- May 21, 1980
- Programs declared
- Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance
- FEMA region
- 10
- Place in the year
- the only major disaster declaration for Washington in 1980
- Status
- closed out on March 3, 1998
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Asotin (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Benton (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Chelan (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Clallam (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Clark (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Columbia (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Cowlitz (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Douglas (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Ferry (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Franklin (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Garfield (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Grant (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Grays Harbor (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Island (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Jefferson (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| King (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Kitsap (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Kittitas (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Klickitat (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Lewis (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Lincoln (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Mason (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Okanogan (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Pacific (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Pend Oreille (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Pierce (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| San Juan (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Skagit (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Skamania (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Snohomish (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Spokane (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Stevens (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Thurston (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Wahkiakum (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Walla Walla (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Whatcom (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Whitman (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Yakima (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?
FEMA has published no assistance totals for this declaration.
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/623. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.