Public record · who does what
A non-partisan disaster tracker built only on publicly available information: which agencies take part in a disaster response, what each one is mandated to do, how a response moves from the county EOC to a federal declaration, and which services exist for a given ZIP code. No politics, no commentary — verify every activation with the agency, and this page tells you where to look.
How to read this tracker
ZIP lookup · services
Enter a ZIP code to see the state agency that leads the response, the federal and voluntary agencies that serve that area, and every kind of assistance mapped to the agency that delivers it.
Agency registry
Grouped by layer. A mandate is a standing responsibility published by the agency — it is not a claim that the agency is currently deployed in your area.
Acts after a presidential or agency declaration, or under its own standing authority.
Coordinates the federal response, runs Individual Assistance for households and Public Assistance for state and local infrastructure, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program.
When it engages: After the governor requests aid and the President issues an emergency or major-disaster declaration. Some authorities, such as fire-management assistance, do not need one.
Makes low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of every size and non-profits — physical damage and economic injury — usually the largest single source of recovery money.
When it engages: Under an SBA agency declaration, or automatically for areas named in a major-disaster declaration.
Leads federal public-health and medical response: National Disaster Medical System teams, patient movement, medical countermeasures and the Hospital Preparedness Program.
When it engages: On a public-health emergency or at the request of a state health authority.
Tracks health threats, issues health alerts and guidance, and supports environmental health, disease surveillance and laboratory response during and after an event.
When it engages: Standing authority; scales up through its Emergency Operations Center.
Under ESF-3 it handles debris removal, temporary roofing and housing, critical-public-facility restoration and flood-risk reduction; also runs the levee and dam safety programmes.
When it engages: Through FEMA mission assignments after a declaration.
Issues watches, warnings and forecasts, and provides impact-based decision support to emergency managers before, during and after an event.
When it engages: Continuous — it is the warning authority, not a post-disaster funder.
Runs Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) for food aid after a declaration, plus farm, ranch and rural-utility disaster programmes and emergency conservation work.
When it engages: D-SNAP opens only after a state request approved by USDA for named areas.
Provides disaster housing recovery through CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT grants, foreclosure relief for federally backed mortgages and homeless-assistance flexibilities.
When it engages: Congress appropriates CDBG-DR after major events; relief flexibilities follow a declaration.
Coordinates restoration of communications, power and other critical infrastructure, and runs the national emergency communications and cyber-defence programmes.
When it engages: Standing authority; deploys liaisons into the response.
Funds legal and victim-services support after disasters, including emergency housing and safety planning for survivors, and pursues disaster-related fraud.
When it engages: Through discretionary funding and the Department's disaster response.
Sequence · what the public can watch for
The same order in almost every U.S. disaster: local life-safety, state mobilisation, damage assessment, declaration, programmes open, long-term recovery. Each stage names its lead and the public record you can check.
1 · Local response
First minutes to 72 hours
County / city emergency management, fire, EMS, police, public works
Life-safety first: warnings, evacuation, rescue, firefighting, medical triage and shelters. Nothing else moves until this layer has the scene.
Where the public can check: County emergency alerts, sheriff and fire social feeds, local news briefings.
2 · State mobilisation
Hours to days
State emergency management agency
The State Emergency Operations Center activates, state agencies are tasked, the National Guard may be deployed and a state of emergency is declared to unlock powers and funding.
Where the public can check: Governor's office press releases and the state EOC situation reports.
3 · Damage assessment
Days
State and FEMA jointly (Preliminary Damage Assessment)
Teams count destroyed and damaged homes and public infrastructure against thresholds. This assessment is what a federal request is built on.
Where the public can check: State requests for federal aid and the joint preliminary damage assessment summaries.
4 · Federal declaration
Days to weeks
President, on the governor's request, administered by FEMA
An emergency or major-disaster declaration names the counties and the programmes: Individual Assistance for households, Public Assistance for public infrastructure, Hazard Mitigation for rebuilding stronger.
Where the public can check: FEMA's federal disaster declarations list — the authoritative public record.
5 · Programmes open
Weeks
FEMA, SBA, USDA, HUD, HHS/ASPR, USACE
Assistance applications open, disaster recovery centres may open in person, SBA loans and D-SNAP become available, and federal teams deploy debris, housing and medical missions.
Where the public can check: DisasterAssistance.gov, SBA disaster notices, state benefits office announcements.
6 · Long-term recovery
Months to years
Long-term recovery groups, VOADs, HUD CDBG-DR
Unmet needs are handled by volunteer agencies and recovery groups; block grants fund rebuilding and mitigation once appropriated.
Where the public can check: Local long-term recovery group minutes, HUD grant announcements, charity registries.
Verify at the source
Every claim above resolves to one of these public pages. When they disagree with this tracker, the agency is right.