Thursday, October 1, 2026

FEMA Announces $11 Million in New Disaster Relief for Wildfire, Storm Survivors

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Trump administration Wednesday announced an additional $11 million in recovery relief for nearly 6,000 survivors affected by the 2025 Palisades and Eaton wildfires and the 2023 winter storms.

In total, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided nearly $24 million for case management services across the disasters, officials said.

The grants announced Wednesday include more than $6.6 million for over 3,000 survivors of the wildfires and severe winds that affected the county. To date, nearly $10 million in FEMA funds have been provided for the disaster. Funding also includes more than $4.5 million for services provided for more than 2,700 survivors of the 2023 storms that hit several California counties. More than $13.6 million has been provided for storm relief, FEMA said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger applauded the announcement.

“I welcome FEMA’s approval of additional funding for disaster case management for Los Angeles County,” she said in a statement. “Once received, this funding will allow thousands of Eaton Fire survivors to continue receiving the personalized support they need as they navigate the complicated road to recovery. Having someone help them work through housing, insurance, rebuilding, and other recovery challenges can make a meaningful difference.

“I thank the Trump administration and FEMA for recognizing that survivors’ needs continue. I hope that this funding will be accessible locally as soon as possible, so Eaton Fire survivors continue accessing this critical support system.”

The Eaton Fire Collaborative, however, said additional FEMA funding does not solve the problems the EFC says are facing the Disaster Case Management Program.

The announcement gives no timeline for how long the program will continue, and there is no hint about how funds will be distributed across Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, according to the EFC.

“It does not name the Eaton Fire, even though Eaton survivors make up the largest share of Disaster Case Management clients in Los Angeles County,” according to EFC, which describes itself as a group of local nonprofits, community groups, city, county, and state officials dedicated to helping those affected by the Eaton fire.

“Case management is how survivors find their way through recovery, and it has to be there for the full length of that journey,” Michael Ocon, executive director of the EFC, said in a statement. “We are grateful to the state of California for keeping services running and to the legislative partners who have pressed for this funding. We are ready to work with FEMA to finish the job. That means honoring the full commitment made to this program so no survivor loses their case manager mid-recovery.”