Disaster Help and Resources
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911. Follow evacuation instructions from local officials.
A disaster can interrupt your care, affect where you stay, or make it harder to get food and other essentials. Use these resources to plan ahead and find support during and after an emergency.
Prepare for El Nino storms
Sign up for local alerts and learn what California’s state of emergency means for you.
Needs
Resources
Get medication
or medical care
- If a disaster interrupts your care, learn how your health plan can help with prescriptions, appointments, or care at another facility.
- If you rely on medical equipment that needs electricity, explore backup power options before an outage.
- If your pharmacy is closed, check Healthcare Ready’s Rx Open map. The map reports disaster-related pharmacy closures only when it is active for your area.
Get help with
in-home care or
disability services
- If you receive In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and need help after evacuating or because you cannot reach your provider, contact your County IHSS Office.
- If you receive regional center services and can’t reach your service coordinator, contact your regional center.
Find food or a
place to stay
- Find an open emergency shelter. You can seek emergency shelter in California regardless of your immigration status.
- Find the food bank serving your county or call 211 to ask where you can get food nearby.
- Contact your County Benefits Office if you lost food you bought with CalFresh or want to know whether Disaster CalFresh is available in your area.
Get emotional
support
- Call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. It’s free and available 24/7. Support is available in multiple languages
Replace
important
records
- To request a California birth, death, or marriage record, visit CDPH Vital Records or find the local county recorder that handles the record.
Make an
emergency
plan
- Fill out a Personal Emergency Plan for the equipment, medications, and support you rely on.
- Learn how to pack and store prescription medications during a disaster.
- Read the Preparedness Guide for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and people with access and functional needs.
Find help
recovering after
a disaster
- Explore California’s disaster recovery resources for housing, financial help, and other support. For help finding local services, call 211.
Find disaster
assistance for
immigrant
Californians
- You can seek emergency shelter in California regardless of your immigration status.
- Explore Disaster Assistance Guides for immigrant Californians in multiple languages.
- If you have questions about how receiving assistance could affect your immigration case, learn about Public Charge and where to get legal advice.