What does it take for the President declare a state or town a Natural Disaster Area?

Answer 1

The Governor must request the declaration. Then a director from FEMA reviews the extend of the damage and makes a recommendation. Usually the President will visit or fly over the area and announce his decision. There have been over 2,000 Presidential Disaster Declarations since 1964.

(the following paragraph is from FEMA's regulations)

Declaration Process
The request for a declaration must come from the Governor or Acting Governor. Before sending a formal request letter to the President, the Governor will request that FEMA conduct a joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) with the State to verify damage and estimate the amount of supplemental assistance that will be needed. If the Governor believes that Federal assistance is necessary after this assessment is complete, the Governor sends a request letter to the President, directed through the Regional Administrator (RA) of the appropriate FEMA region. The RA reviews the request and forwards it with a recommendation to the Director of FEMA who, in turn, makes a recommendation to the President. In the aftermath of a significant event causing extensive damage and loss of life, the declaration process may be expedited. The President makes the decision whether to declare a major disaster or emergency. After the initial declaration, the person designated by the Governor as the Governor's Authorized Representative (GAR) may request additional areas to be eligible for assistance or for additional types of assistance as deemed necessary.