In Orange County, we prepare for floods, wild land fires, earthquakes and tsunamis, storms, droughts, terrorism, pandemics, landslides, hazardous material spills, and any other emergencies that might occur.
ReadyOC is a public outreach effort aimed at educating and empowering Orange County residents, businesses, and the community to better prepare for emergency situations. As the leading emergency preparedness organization in the county, their goal is to get local residents better prepared for a variety of emergency situations that could impact the county and to offer opportunities for concerned citizens to get involved in local readiness efforts.
AlertOC is a mass notification system designed to keep Orange County residents and businesses informed of emergencies. By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive messages may be sent to your home, cell or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to cell phones and e-mail accounts.
Disaster Assistance Information
When individuals, households, or businesses are affected by an emergency or disaster, the State of California has a variety of resources to assist with recovery.
Voluntary Agencies, such as the local American Red Cross or the Salvation Army, are often ready to step in and help take care of immediate needs. These organizations may be able to assist with sheltering or hotel vouchers, food, or clothing. Please contact local voluntary organizations in your area or the Information and Referral line by dialing 2-1-1 or visiting 2-1-1 Orange County.
You can also declare a disaster claim if your property has been damaged by fire or some other type of calamity, you may be entitled to a temporary property tax reduction. Please call (714) 834-2727 for more information. You can download a Calamity - Disaster Relief Form and mail it to the address below. This application must be postmarked or delivered to the following address within 12 months of the date of calamity:
County of Orange Assessor: Calamity Reassessment
630 N. Broadway
Building 12, Room 142
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Prepare to make an Insurance Claim
- Keep all receipts during your evacuation.
- Policy provisions, including deductibles, vary by company, and residents should check with their insurance company or agent as soon as possible to confirm coverage, limits, and any other limitations and documentation requirements. Most renter’s policies also typically include Additional Living Expense (ALE) coverage.
- Document the date, time, and names of any insurance company employees you speak to regarding your coverage.
- Consumers should make sure any insurance agent or public adjuster offering their services has a valid license by checking online with the Department of Insurance.
- Download the Department’s Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants (also available in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese), which includes information about claiming ALE benefits.
- Under existing law, public adjusters cannot solicit business for seven calendar days after a disaster.
- Don’t forget copies of insurance policies, important papers, and a photo or video inventory of your possessions. An inventory can be completed quickly and easily on your smart phone and safely stored in the Cloud.
- The California Department of Insurance provides assistance with insurance issues and can be reached by calling 1-800-927-HELP (4357) or by visiting the Department of Insurance website.
Apply for FEMA & SBA Assistance
After making a claim with their insurance provider, the first step residents can take to jumpstart their recovery is to apply for FEMA assistance. There are three ways to apply:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you have access to the internet and your electronic devices have power, applying online is the easiest, fastest and most convenient way to apply.
- On the FEMA App for mobile devices.
- Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Calls are accepted every day from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: FEMA Accessible: Registering for Individual Assistance - YouTube.
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers low-interest disaster loans to eligible homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and certain private nonprofit organizations in areas declared a disaster by SBA.