Strengthening LA's Recovery from Disasters

In April 1994 following the Northridge Earthquake, the Council designated the CAO asthe “Authorized Agent” for the City with respect to applying for and executing federal and state assistance for various disasters. As the City’s Authorized Agent, the CAO works directly with the Governors’ Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on all disaster grant applications. This designation allows the CAO to serve as the central clearinghouse for the City’s various funding requests during and after disasters to support the City's emergency response and its recovery.

Specifically, the CAO:

Works with state and federal partners to secure funding through FEMA's Public Assistance program, which helps pay the city back for emergency and recovery costs;
Applies for funds on behalf of the City from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which provides separate funding to support projects that make the city safer and better prepared for future disasters;
Assist City departments in building strong recovery and resilience projects, that meet federal requirements, and stay eligible for critical reimbursements;
Searches for other federal and state funding opportunities to support large-scale public infrastructure recovery projects.

Wildfire Recovery

Since the federal government’s Major Disaster declaration with respect to the Palisades Fire on January 8, 2025, the CAO has been working to secure funding from FEMA's Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, as well as other funding sources. As the lead administrator for FEMA's Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs, the CAO helps ensure the City recovers efficiently, strategically, and with long-term resilience at the core.

At this time, the CAO has identified all wildfire-related public right-of-way damage and City rebuilding costs and submitted major projects to FEMA and the state to reduce future risk across Los Angeles. The CAO will continue to work closely with state and federal partners to secure funding that the City has requested.

These dashboards provide a full overview of every project submitted for federal funding and where each stands today.

Public Assistance Projects
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

For additional information on the wildfire recovery efforts please visit the City’s dedicated website Wild Fire Recovery Website