Where to get help before and after a wildfire, flood or earthquake

This page is general information, not legal advice. It covers getting ready and finding help. For feelings after a disaster, see How long it takes to feel okay after a disaster or frightening event.

How do we get ready before a disaster?

California's state preparedness program, Listos California, sums it up in five steps (Listos California, Cal OES):

1. Get alerts.
2. Make a plan for the people you care for.
3. Pack a go bag.
4. Build a stay box for when you cannot leave home.
5. Help friends and neighbors get ready.

Get alerts. Your county sends free warnings about fires, floods, evacuations and other dangers.

• San Mateo County, SMC Alert: free alerts by text, email, phone and landline. Add at least one address, such as home, work or your child's school, so alerts reach you for that area. Your phone company may charge for texts (San Mateo County). Questions: SMCAlert@smcgov.org.
• Santa Clara County, AlertSCC: free, and anyone can register. Alerts come by text from 88911, by email or by phone (City of Palo Alto).
• Other counties: search your county name plus "emergency alerts."

Earthquake warnings. California's Earthquake Warning system can tell you to Drop, Cover and Hold On seconds before shaking starts. The free MyShake app warns iPhone and Android users for magnitude 4.5 and up. Phone emergency alerts (Wireless Emergency Alerts) are sent for magnitude 5.0 and up at no cost. Android phones with updated software are signed up for earthquake alerts automatically (Cal OES).

You do not need a Social Security number or immigration papers to get these alerts.

What should we pack?

Pack one bag per person you can grab in five minutes. A good start:

• Water and food that does not spoil, for a few days
• Medicines, glasses, and a copy of prescriptions
• Phone chargers and a battery pack
• Flashlight, radio and extra batteries
• A change of clothes, sturdy shoes, a mask for smoke
• Cash in small bills
• Baby supplies and pet food if you need them
• Copies of your important papers in a waterproof bag (see below)

Which papers should we save?

Put copies in your go bag and photos on your phone or a secure cloud account:

• IDs and passports, including consular IDs
• Green cards, work permits, DACA approval notices, and any USCIS or court notices with your A number
• Birth certificates for children
• Medi-Cal, insurance and bank cards
• Lease or proof of address, like a utility bill
• Emergency phone numbers written on paper

If agents could ever detain someone in your family, your disaster papers can double as part of your family plan. See Make a family preparedness plan.

What do we do right after?

1. Get safe. Follow evacuation orders. Leave when told. If someone is hurt or in danger, call 911.
2. Check on family and neighbors, especially older people and people who do not read English.
3. Find shelter if you need it. Emergency shelters open during big disasters. A 2023 state guide from Cal OES and the Department of Social Services says the Red Cross will not ask people to show ID to stay in its shelters (Cal OES and CDSS guide, May 2023).
4. Get food. Food banks help families after disasters, and the same guide marks them as open regardless of status. In San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, Second Harvest's line is 1-800-984-3663 (Second Harvest).
5. Take photos of damage before you clean up. Save receipts for anything you buy.
6. Write down your losses: lost pay, rent, damaged belongings.

What help is open to everyone, whatever their status?

Federal law has an exception for disaster help. Short term, non cash, in kind emergency disaster relief is open to people whatever their immigration status. So are community programs like soup kitchens, crisis counseling and short term shelter that are needed to protect life or safety (8 U.S.C. 1611(b)(1)).

In practice, that includes:

• Emergency shelter
• Food from food banks and relief sites
• Water, clothes and hygiene kits handed out after a disaster
• Crisis counseling. The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is for anyone in the U.S. dealing with distress after a disaster, by call or text, 24/7, with Spanish and other languages (SAMHSA)

Disaster CalFresh. The 2023 state guide says anyone can apply for Disaster CalFresh regardless of immigration status. It gives a month of food benefits to disaster survivors with modest income (Cal OES and CDSS guide). It only opens after certain disasters. Ask your county social services office.

State disability pay. If you are hurt or sick and cannot work, State Disability Insurance does not depend on immigration status (EDD DE 2320). See Disability or Paid Family Leave pay without papers. Regular unemployment needs work authorization.

Can we get FEMA help if some of us have no papers?

Often, yes, through someone else in the household. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program requires that you or a member of your household be a U.S. citizen, noncitizen national or qualified alien (FEMA, Citizenship and FEMA Eligibility).

• A mixed status household can apply if another adult in the home qualifies and certifies their status during the application.
• A parent can apply for a qualifying child. If your child is a U.S. citizen or qualified and under 18, a parent or guardian in the same home can apply for the child as the co applicant (FEMA).

How to apply:

1. Check whether your county is in a federally declared disaster area on DisasterAssistance.gov.
2. Apply online. Have your address, losses, insurance information and the qualifying person's information ready.
3. Keep your FEMA registration number and answer every letter and call.

FEMA's fact sheet we read is from 2023. Federal rules can change. If you are unsure whether to apply, talk to a free legal aid group first. The state guide says free legal help may be available for disaster relief applications (Cal OES and CDSS guide).

What if our immigration papers were lost or destroyed?

USCIS lists special help for people affected by disasters (USCIS, Special situations):

• Replace documents. Lost green cards, I-94 records and work permits can be replaced by filing the form for each one.
• Ask for faster processing when you file or after.
• Ask for a fee waiver with Form I-912 if you cannot pay.
• Missed an appointment or deadline because of the disaster? You can explain how the disaster affected you. A late extension request may be excused if the delay was beyond your control.

To ask for any of these, contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (USCIS). If you have a hearing in immigration court, check your case at EOIR's case information page or 800-898-7180 and talk to a lawyer about any missed date.

Where can we get help in the Bay Area?

• San Mateo County Core Service Agencies help with food, emergency housing and shelter, and utility bills. East Palo Alto and Menlo Park: Samaritan House South, (650) 294-4312. Redwood City: Fair Oaks Community Center, (650) 780-7500 (San Mateo County).
• Santa Clara County rent help if a disaster leaves you unable to pay rent: Homelessness Prevention System, (408) 516-5100. Citizenship or legal residency is not required (preventhomelessness.org).
• 211 in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, run by United Way Bay Area, helps find local services. 211 does not cover every California county (211 California).

How do we avoid disaster scams?

After disasters, scammers may pose as relief workers or FEMA. Be wary of anyone who asks for money to help you apply. Do not pay anyone to "speed up" aid, and do not give bank details to someone who calls you out of the blue. Apply yourself on DisasterAssistance.gov. See How to spot fake immigration agents and ICE scam calls.

Questions people ask

Do shelters check immigration status? The 2023 state guide says the Red Cross does not ask for ID to stay in its shelters. Some Red Cross casework may ask you to show your address from before the disaster, which a utility bill can do.

If my citizen child gets FEMA help, does it count against me? Your child's benefits are not counted as yours. But under the DHS final rule in effect since September 18, 2026, and USCIS guidance on it, an officer may look at a child's benefits as a sign that the household has low income (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 8, Part G). Neither USCIS nor the state's public charge page says how disaster aid is treated under this guidance. Ask a legal aid group before you apply if this worries you.

We rent. Can we get help? Ask FEMA about help for renters when you apply. County rent help, like Santa Clara's Homelessness Prevention System, is for renters at risk of losing their home.

How do I help my kids after? See the children's section in How long it takes to feel okay after a disaster.

Who can help?

• Disaster Distress Helpline: call or text 1-800-985-5990
• Samaritan House South (East Palo Alto and Menlo Park): (650) 294-4312
• Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System: (408) 516-5100
• Second Harvest of Silicon Valley: 1-800-984-3663
• USCIS Contact Center: 800-375-5283
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): (650) 326-6440 (CLSEPA)

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

Is there a checklist I can print?