As thousands of residents in Los Angeles County suffer from devastation and displacement as a result of several wildfires, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Supervisor Kathryn Barger urges residents to take advantage of the FEMA resources available to them.
“Residents affected by the Eaton Fire, Palisades Fire, and others have had their lives completely upended,” Chair Barger said. “We are working with our federal partners to draw down every resource available to ensure our residents can recover and rebuild as soon as possible. I encourage our neighbors to get a jumpstart on the process to begin receiving support as early as they can.”
President Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration on Jan. 8 to supplement recovery efforts and allow residents to draw down funding to address their disaster-related needs. Funding can pay for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medications, and other emergency supplies. Additionally, funds can help with housing needs such as temporary hotel stays, rental assistance, basic home repairs, and personal property losses.
If a resident has insurance and is applying for FEMA disaster assistance, they must file a claim with their insurance company first. By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If insurance does not cover all of their damage, they may be eligible for federal assistance.
How to Apply
There are three ways to apply:
1.Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
If you have access to the internet and your electronic devices have power, applying online is easiest, fastest, and most convenient.
2. On the FEMA App for mobile devices.
3.The FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362
Calls are accepted every day from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. PST. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay, captioned telephone, or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.
For a helpful guide about the application process, watch this how-to video from FEMA.
For additional support, visit lacounty.gov/emergency for an ongoing and regularly updated list of County resources.