State of emergency
Declaration by a government allowing assumption of extraordinary power / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"State of siege" redirects here. For the 1972 film, see State of Siege.
"Emergency declaration" redirects here. For the 2021 film, see Emergency Declaration (film).
For other uses, see State of emergency (disambiguation).
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, or even after a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict, medical pandemic or epidemic or other biosecurity risk.
Though it sounds alarming, it is reserved for serious situations after a natural disaster occurrence, but it has important technical ramifications, easing a city or state's access to federal aid.