What are the steps for the Paradise ridge residents and business owners who have fled the Camp Fire.
The first thing you need to do is to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is required for all forms of disaster assistance. www.disasterassistance.gov or call
1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
Your Home
There are many things to think about when you return home or find you need to rebuild after a disaster. The resources below can help.
If you need immediate housing, visit our Immediate Needs page to find Emergency Shelter.
Learn about financial resources, including disaster assistance loans offered for homeowners and renters by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Returning Home
Recovering from Disaster (PDF, 4 MB)
Get advice for you and your family on safety, health, and mental well-being after a disaster. This guide offers tips about returning home, seeking help, coping, and helping others. (FEMA)
Returning Home
Learn what you should do before you enter your home after a disaster. When you do go inside, learn about hazards you need to watch for. You can also learn what you might need to track for insurance. (Ready.gov)
Cleaning Up the Damage
Healthy Housing Resources
After a disaster, you have many things to consider. You need to know if your home is safe to return to; what hazards you may face; if any items will be safe to clean and save. Find guides, videos, resource links, and even an app that can help you recover and rebuild a healthy home. (HUD)
Dealing with Debris and Damaged Buildings
View topics on hazards you may find after a disaster when you return to your home or business. This could include structurally unsound buildings and chemical spills. (Environmental Protection Agency)
Flood Cleanup and the Air in Your Home (PDF, 1 MB)
Learn how to properly clean up after a flood and about air quality and the health hazards of mold. You can also learn what you should wear and what equipment you’ll need to clean safely. (Environmental Protection Agency)
After the Fire: Returning to Normal (PDF, 408 KB)
Learn what to expect after a fire. You’ll also need to know how to find a place to stay and what you can do to care for your family and pets. There are also tips and a checklist of next steps to begin recovery. (FEMA)
Preservation – Records Emergencies
Find guidelines on how to prepare records and family treasures before a disaster strikes. You can also learn how to care for materials after. (National Archives)
Rebuilding Stronger and Safer
Safer, Stronger, Protected Homes, and Communities
Find a list of resources to help home and business owners rebuild and prevent future damage from different hazards. Learn what mitigation is and why it matters. (FEMA)
Building Codes Toolkit
Get tools and guidance on building codes that anyone can use. Guidance from best practices, input from field experts, and FEMA standards. (FEMA)
Rebuilding Greener
State and Local Energy Data
Get information on clean energy technologies that communities can use to lower energy use and costs. Learn about energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation. You can also learn how to develop an energy project for your community. (Department of Energy)
PVWatts Calculator
Use this National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) tool to estimate grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy production and cost. These details can help you decide if solar energy is right for your home or business. (Department of Energy)
Renewable Energy Atlas
View this interactive map to get a list of the renewable energy sources available in your area. You can expand the lists to see more details on each source. (Department of Energy)
Energy Star Products
Get a list of all products that have an Energy Star rating. You can get details on each product that may include an overview, specifications, and a buying guide. Some products may also show a link that allows you to find and compare products. (Environmental Protection Agency)
Water-saving Products
Learn about WaterSense and the products that carry the label. You can search to find a product you need by category and brand. You can also find out how much water, energy, and money you can save by using these products. (Environmental Protection Agency)
Your Business or Farm
Get information that can help you with your business or farm after a disaster. Learn about financial assistance as well as other resources that can help you recover.
Financial Resources
Disaster Loans
Learn about loans the Small Business Administration (SBA) offers to businesses after a disaster. You can use the loans to repair or replace business property and assets. If you have questions, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 for help. (Small Business Administration)
Disaster Assistance Programs
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers help for disaster losses under several programs. The programs include livestock, honey bees, farmed fish, crops, and grazing lands. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses
View special tax laws that may help businesses and farms with financial recovery after a disaster. There are also links to tips, forms, and contacts. (Internal Revenue Service)
Planning and Recovery Resources
Preparedness Planning for Your Business
Any natural or man-made disaster can affect your business. Learn five steps that can help you develop a preparedness program. (Ready.gov)
Ready Rating
Learn how to prepare your business for disasters. Find free tools that can help you evaluate and improve your ability to face and recover from a disaster. Whether you’re just starting a plan or you already have an emergency program in place. (American Red Cross)
Disaster Information for Farms & Ranches
If you’re a farmer or rancher, this page offers a list of helpful resources. These resources can help you prepare for, prevent, and recover from the effects of a disaster. (Texas Extension Disaster Education Network)
Disaster Recovery
Learn how to spot and report anticompetitive conduct that may occur after a disaster. This includes bid rigging, price fixing, and customer or market allocation. This page can help you learn what these terms mean. (Department of Justice)
Care Guidelines
Find guidelines on how to care for materials affected by a disaster. Things like paper records, books, photos, film, and magnetic media, like audio, video, and computer disks. (National Archives)
Your Finances, Job, and Insurance
Financial concerns can cause a lot of stress after a disaster. You can use the resources here to help you start your recovery.
Your Finances
Financial Recovery Resources
Do you need to find information or resources that can help you recover financially after a disaster? Are you older, unemployed, a business or farm owner, or just trying to figure out how to start? The resources on this page may be able to help. (MyMoney.gov)
Recovering Financially
View steps you can take to handle insurance claims, cash flow, bills, and debt after a disaster. There’s also a list of vital documents with details on where you can get them replaced. (American Red Cross)
Disaster Loans
Learn the different disaster loans offered for homeowners and renters by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Loan types include home and personal property, business, and economic injury. If you have questions, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955. (Small Business Administration)
Disaster Relief
Learn about disaster relief loans you may apply for through GovLoans.gov. You can use this site as a gateway to all types of government loans. (Department of Labor)
Natural Disaster Impact on Banking Operations
The FDIC works with various agencies to determine the status of financial institutions in disaster areas. You may find updates on this page after a large declared disaster. (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief for Individuals and Businesses
Read about special tax law provisions that may help you recover financially after a disaster. There are also links to tips, forms, and contacts. (Internal Revenue Service)
Financial Disaster Recovery
Visit the website to learn how to financially prepare for and recover from disaster. You can use the “Emergency Financial First Aid Kit” (EFFAK) to find out how prepared you are. After a disaster, our crisis counselors can help you move toward recovery. Call 1-888-388-4673 to talk with someone. (Operation HOPE)
Your Job and Pension
Disaster Unemployment Insurance (DUA)
If you lost work because of a disaster, you may qualify. Get details on eligibility and learn how you can file a claim. (Department of Labor)
Find Local Help
Find workforce services in your area or across the country. You can use this page to find your local American Job Center; employment and training programs; community services; workforce development, and unemployment benefits. (Department of Labor)
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Learn about programs and services. Get answers to questions or assistance with health or retirement benefits denial, or report a problem with a plan. You may also call 1-866-444-3272 to talk to a benefits advisor. (Department of Labor)
Your Insurance
How Do I Start My Flood Claim
Get a step-by-step guide on how to file a flood claim. You can also review the Write Your Own Flood Insurance Company List to find a flood insurance agent near you. (FEMA)
Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Survivors Section 203(h)
If a declared disaster damaged or destroyed your home, you may apply under this program. If approved, the program insures the mortgage to buy or rebuild your primary home. Only FHA-approved lenders may participate. (HUD)
Camp Fire Rescued Animals
Currently only dogs and cats are listed…other animals are in progress and coming very shortly!)
If you do not see your pet on our site please keep checking back, and please search our supporting partners’ websites listed on our resources page, who have all stepped up to aid our community by taking in animals.
Looking for People
https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php
How to Mark Yourself “Safe” On Facebook
Whenever there’s a natural disaster, your friends and family will want to know that you’re safe. Facebook has tried to make this easier with its Safety Check feature. Here’s how to let everyone you know on Facebook that you’re safe with a couple clicks, instead of messaging everyone individually.
Facebook aims to automatically activate Safety Check if you’re in the area of a disaster it knows about. If you live in an area where a number of people are posting about an event, Facebook may send you a notification asking if you’re safe. If you get a notification like the one below, simply click it and choose I’m Safe. Facebook will then create a post marking you safe in the area.
If you don’t get that notification, you can open the Safety Check section here. On this page, you’ll see a list of events that have affected you or your family. Click the one you’re affected by.
RELATED: How to See If Your Facebook Friends Are Safe During an Emergency
On this page, there’s a banner at the top of the page asking if you’re in the affected area. If you are, click Yes and you can mark yourself safe or not. You can also ask your friends if they’re safe from this page.
If you scroll down a bit on the emergency event page, there’s a module in the side bar where you can donate to various organizations who are working on relief effort. Usually, several non-profits have fundraisers set up (or you can start your own, if you want).
If you’re in an affected area, you hopefully won’t have to dive this deep into the Safety Check tool to mark yourself safe, but it’s good to know how to do so if you need to.