Major/severe is a damage threshold determined by FEMA. The exact definition varies by disaster and depends on the type of weather event (flood, wind, etc.). For homeowners, major/severe damage is determined when at least one of the following criteria is met:FEMA inspected residential damage of $8,000 or greaterFEMA inspected personal property damage of $3,500 or greaterAt least one foot of flooding on the first floorIf you are not sure whether you sustained major/severe damage from a 2020–2021 disaster, or if you would like to appeal a previous FEMA determination on your damage level, please do not hesitate to contact FEMA by calling 1-800-621-3362 or visiting fema.gov/assistance/individual/after-applying/appeals.