This research is motivated by the flash flood disaster that struck West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh at the end of 2025, which resulted in loss of life and devastation of villages. As a result, many groups called on the government, particularly the President, to declare the disaster a national disaster. This study aims to describe and analyze the process of determining national disaster status in Sumatra. The methodology employed in this study is a descriptive qualitative approach, utilizing normative descriptive methods for data collection. The findings of this research explain the legal aspects of disaster management as outlined in Law Number 24 of 2007, along with its implementing regulations: Government Regulation Number 21 of 2008 and Presidential Regulation Number 17 of 2018. These documents establish the criteria for designating the legal status of disasters. According to the relevant laws and regulations, the legal status of a disaster is determined by whether it qualifies as a national disaster. If a disaster remains localized, the regional government, as specified in its regional regulations, holds the authority and responsibility to manage the situation at the regional level. In the case of the flash flood disaster in Sumatra, it has not been classified as a national disaster because, based on field data, it is still recognized as a regional event.