A Stafford Act Disaster Declaration is made when a disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the local and state governments and federal assistance is needed. The process typically involves:
- The water utility conducting preliminary damage assessments
- State emergency management officials using information from the initial and preliminary damage estimates to determine the extent and impact of a disaster
- The governor using the damage estimates to support a request for a disaster declaration
- The president issuing a disaster declaration for an affected area
- FEMA coordinating the federal disaster assistance