California invests millions in disaster readiness programs amid federal cuts

Since 2019, California has invested $100 million in community disaster preparedness through its Ready California program, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday. The governor’s office highlighted efforts to help vulnerable communities prepare for wildfires, earthquakes, floods and other emergencies in light of federal cuts.

The program, administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, funds local nonprofits, tribal governments and community organizations that provide emergency preparedness training, distribute disaster supplies, translate emergency information and help residents sign up for local warning systems.

Newsom said the investments come as federal funding cuts threaten local emergency preparedness programs, saying California “will never waver in our support for the health and well-being of our communities.”

As part of the initiative, the state awarded $12.5 million in grants to 31 community organizations in May to expand disaster preparedness efforts and provide in-language resources. According to the governor’s office, the grants are intended to strengthen outreach to Californians with low incomes, disabilities, language barriers, older adults and residents of high-risk disaster areas.

“Wildfires, extreme weather, floods, earthquakes — these are some of the disasters people across the state face every year,” said Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs. “We know these emergencies won’t affect everyone equally. But our Ready California campaign allows us to build readiness and protect lives by investing in the communities where it’s needed most.”

The Sacramento District Council of St. Vincent de Paul, which is receiving its third round of Ready California funding, plans to expand disaster preparedness programming into Alpine County, where the organization hopes to reach more rural residents. The nonprofit offers free workshops that help residents create emergency plans, prepare go-bags and sign up for local emergency alerts.

Simona Gallegos, the organization’s director of emergency programs, said uncertainty over future federal disaster assistance has made preparedness efforts even more important because communities may have fewer resources available to recover after major disasters

“Speaking with other organizations that do long-term disaster recovery in California, we’re all kind of holding our breath. We don’t know, when the next disaster comes, if we’re going to have access to those funds,” Gallegos said. “So we need to step in now to make sure people know … things that are going to prepare them to fare better on the other end of things if they do end up going through it.”

Ready California has reached more than 16 million Californians through face-to-face outreach, according to the governor’s office.