FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide: July 2025 by FEMA

Official PDA framework, distilled: How SLTT partners and FEMA collect, validate, quantify, and document disaster damage—end-to-end. IA & PA operations: Roles, responsibilities, and workflows for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance, with cost-of-assistance factors, per-capita indicators, and impact statements. Damage level standards: Clear Affected / Minor / Major / Destroyed definitions (with separate matrices for manufactured vs. conventionally built homes). Field-ready tools: Checklists, forms, and matrices (PA documentation, eligibility, and work-assessment; IA damage matrices; home insurance matrix). Tribal Nation guidance: Options to request declarations, sovereignty and cultural considerations, and joint PDA practices tailored to Tribal Nations. Product Description FEMA’s Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) Guide is the national reference for conducting joint PDAs and supporting Stafford Act disaster declaration requests. It sets a uniform standard so state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners—and FEMA—can assess disaster impacts quickly, consistently, and defensibly. Read more