The state of California and FEMA are committed to providing equal access to all state and federal disaster assistance programs while helping residents recover from the severe storms and flooding that began Dec. 27, 2022.
All residents of Calaveras, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz counties who had property damage or other losses caused by the storms are encouraged to apply for assistance from FEMA. FEMA may help pay for essential home repairs or other serious disaster-related needs not covered by your insurance or other sources.
FEMA provides referrals to its federal, state and local partners as well as to community and volunteer agencies that participate in the recovery process.
For people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, or those who communicate in languages other than English, FEMA can provide information in accessible electronic formats on the FEMA website and on social media.
FEMA offers free services to help survivors communicate with FEMA specialists on the phone or at Disaster Recovery Centers now open in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties. No appointment is needed to visit any of the recovery centers, which also have accessible parking, ramps and restrooms. To find a recovery center near you, visit DRC Locator (fema.gov).
Notify FEMA staff at the centers if you need an accommodation during any part of the disaster assistance process; if you have questions about the accessibility equipment available in the recovery centers; or if you need help using the equipment.
FEMA provides:
- Qualified multilingual interpreters and printed material in multiple languages
- Qualified American Sign Language interpreters
- Video Remote Interpreting, real-time captioning as well as information in Braille, large-print, audio and electronic formats
People with disabilities may be eligible for financial assistance to replace their accessibility equipment (i.e., wheelchairs, hearing aids) if those items were damaged or lost as a result of the recent severe storms and flooding.
Here are the ways to apply for FEMA disaster assistance:
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
- Use the FEMA mobile app; or
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in many languages. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators speak many languages and lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
- For an accessible video on how to apply, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI.