FEMA Publishes Updated Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide
FEMA published an updated Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide, which defines how state, local, tribal and territorial government officials and FEMA staff collect, validate, quantify and document the cause, location and details of damage following a disaster.
Changes within the updated guide should be used immediately for any incidents that take place on or after July 1. This Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide supersedes all previous versions.
State, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as certain nonprofits, are encouraged to review the updated Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide. The guide helps emergency management officials at all levels of government efficiently complete accurate and consistent preliminary damage assessments that align with Stafford Act presidential disaster declaration request requirements.
Updates to the guide include consolidating methodologies for conducting Individual Assistance and Public Assistance joint preliminary damage assessments, expanding on the importance of completing the initial damage assessment, consolidating roles and responsibilities and incorporating new policy and programmatic requirements, among other revisions.
Download the 2025 Preliminary Damage Assessment Guide
For a list of the major changes, please refer to the summary of changes
The 2025 Preliminary Damage Assessment Pocket Guide is a supplement to the full PDA Guide and provides high level guidance that can be used as a reference in the field.
To learn more and watch a video series on the guide’s process, visit FEMA’s YouTube channel.
Upcoming Virtual Training
To help states, local governments, tribal nations, territories and the emergency management community better understand the Preliminary Damage Assessment process, FEMA is offering virtual training sessions on the following dates and times:
- July 14, 10-11 a.m. ET.
- July 22, 10-11 a.m. ET.
- July 29, 10-11 a.m. ET.
- Aug. 7, 10-11 a.m. ET.
The course will prepare participants to effectively conduct joint preliminary damage assessments with FEMA and is open to all interested personnel.
To participate in any of the sessions, visit FEMA Zoom. No registration required.
Meeting ID: 161 5791 3048 Passcode: 2025
