There are two types of Presidential declaration:

• A Presidential Declaration of a Major Disaster makes available all the resources of the Federal Government, including long-term Federal recovery programs.
• A Presidential Declaration of an Emergency is more limited in scope and without the long-term recovery programs. This type of declaration provides specific assistance to save lives; protect property, public health, and safety; or lessen the threat of future disaster.

In many cases, assistance may be obtained from the Federal Government without a Presidential declaration. Direct assistance can come from various Federal agencies that provide assistance through the emergency or normal programs of Federal agencies, without a Presidential declaration.