Individual Recovery Assistance available through FEMA
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY DECLARED ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE
Impacted residents encouraged to apply for assistance
On January 17, 2023 the Major Disaster Declaration for the State of California (FEMA-4683-DR) for severe winter storms was amended to include Santa Barbara County for individual assistance, debris removal, and emergency protective measures. Residents of Santa Barbara County will now be eligible to apply for Federal financial assistance and public agencies will be eligible to seek reimbursement for the removal of debris. Public agencies had previously been eligible for reimbursement for costs associated with emergency protective measures.
“We are grateful for the assistance this will offer for our community members of Santa Barbara County,” said Kelly Hubbard, Manager for the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, “This begins a critical step forward for those who have endured loss from the January 2023 storm.”
Residents who incurred financial losses due to storm damage are encouraged to apply for assistance as soon as possible online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1(800) 621-3362. An application for assistance can also be made by downloading the FEMA app in the Apple and Google store. This allows documents to be uploaded to FEMA directly and track the status of applications.
If you are not able to live in your home at this time due to storm impact causing water damage, mold, mud or inability to access your home, please make sure you include this in your application.
The County of Santa Barbara has created a one-stop shop for recovery assistance at ReadySBC.org in both English and Spanish. As information and additional resources becomes available it will be posted here.
If you are unable to navigate the website, the Call Center can provide you with the information posted. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (833) 688-5551.
REGISTER TO RECEIVE READYSBC ALERTS:
If you haven’t registered for emergency alerts, please do so at ReadySBC.org.
RECOVERY RESOURCES: The County is continuing to gather resources for community members impacted by the January 2023 winter storm event. This January 2023 Storm Recovery Webpage is a source of resource information including links for wellness counseling support, housing assistance, information to aid in rebuilding, permitting, hazardous material clean-up, loss of business or employment, and other topics.
For updated and detailed information, please visit ReadySBC.org or call Santa Barbara County’s Emergency Call Center at (833) 688-5551 or 211.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:
CONTACT County of Santa Barbara: 805-681-4200
105 E. Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101
