Mayor Todd Gloria and the City of San Diego are encouraging anyone who was impacted by the Jan. 22 storm to apply for federal disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ahead of the April 19 deadline.  So far, more than 2,600 households have been approved for approximately $20 million in FEMA funds to help with short-term rental assistance, home repair costs and other essential disaster-related expenses.

Following Jan. 22, Mayor Gloria worked with Governor Gavin Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris directly to secure a Major Disaster Declaration so San Diegans impacted by the storm to receive this direct financial assistance.

Additionally, Mayor Gloria has made various City resources available to support residents and businesses during their recovery and rebuilding process.

“Every San Diegan affected by the January storm should apply for FEMA assistance before the April 19 deadline," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "These federal funds are a crucial part of the rebuilding process, and thousands of residents have already tapped into this resource to help get them back on their feet as the City continues to do everything we can to help flood victims recover.”

More than $252,000 has been distributed to San Diego small businesses through the City Economic Development Department’s Emergency Response and Resilience Grant program. Funds have been distributed to 64 businesses and four nonprofit organizations so far. Funds are still available through this program for impacted businesses. Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved 65 loans for a total of $1.7 million.

In the weeks following the storm, City teams went door to door to survey residents in the flooded areas, including Southcrest, Shelltown, Mountain View, Mount Hope, Grant Hill, Encanto, Skyline, Webster and Rolando. Based on needs identified in the surveys, the City worked with the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) to facilitate volunteer support for 575 cleanup cases, including drywall repair, furniture and debris removal.

The City's Development Services Department has waived building and demolition permits to help residents whose homes and property were damaged. The City also launched a Debris Assistance Program to support removal of debris and the rebuilding process within impacted communities. Under this program, the City’s Environmental Services Department has distributed:

• Approximately 1,604 replacement trash, recycling and organic waste containers with another 47 containers scheduled to be delivered within the next two weeks.
• 66 roll-off containers to support removal of debris.

Since Jan. 22, a total of 9,801 tons of storm-related debris were removed from areas impacted by flooding. Additionally, crews have maintained 60 stormwater channel segments within 16.2 miles along Chollas Creek and across the city.

In-person support is available at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, located at the Mountain View Community Center 641 S. Boundary St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays for those who would like assistance with filling out the FEMA disaster relief application or need access to internet and digital devices. Individuals can also call 800-621-3362, visit disasterassistance.gov or get help via the FEMA app. The deadline to apply is April 19, and FEMA encourages residents impacted by the Jan. 22 storm to apply as soon as possible in order to ensure they receive funding that is available to them.

To access additional support, visit the City’s storm recovery online resource hub. Since Jan. 22, the City’s Storm Recovery page SanDiego.gov/Recovery has been visited nearly 22,000 times. Residents and business owners can find information on rebuilding and permitting, resources for basic needs like food, clothing and housing, and other supportive services.