– Jay Balagna and Aaron Clark-Ginsberg
As a horrific week in Los Angeles closes, firefighters are still on the front lines of numerous blazes flanking the city and tens of thousands of people remain displaced from their homes. While it can be hard to turn an eye toward the future at times like this, recovery is, in many ways, already beginning. But when the fires are finally contained, the work will be just beginning. LA will live with the repercussions of this disaster for decades.
It is imperative that displaced and otherwise affected Angelenos have the information and guidance they’ll need to move forward and, to that end, here are some key steps and resources to help.
Near-Term (Days and Weeks)
In the immediate days and weeks, Angelenos face a continued need to deal with the immediate displacement from the fires and the smoky conditions throughout the metro area. There is also an energy to help that should be channeled into the most effective and impactful pathways.
In the immediate days and weeks, Angelenos face a continued need to deal with the immediate displacement from the fires and the smoky conditions throughout the metro area.
- For up-to-date information on evacuation zones, emergency shelter spaces, animal shelters, and other alerts, LA County has an updated information page. New shelter spaces are opening as needed, so check this page for spaces that are open and their addresses.
- Those that need help with transportation have a number of options. LA Metro has temporarily suspended bus and rail fares across the system, as have many municipal bus services. Lyft and Uber both have codes for free rides in the LA area that can be found on the LA County information page.
- For those displaced by fires, 211 LA and Airbnb have limited space available for free. To apply and check availability, fill out a form on the 211 LA website. Various hotels in Southern California also have discounted rates.
- Deeper, up-to-date information on evacuation zones and fire incident information can be found on the Genasys Protect website or accessed via the Watch Duty app in the Apple and Android app stores.
- Even those outside of evacuation areas are affected by the fires. The CDC has tips on how to keep yourself safe from the effects of wildfire smoke that include the use of respirator masks if spending time outside. It is also important to protect pets from smoke.
- Rumors and dis- and misinformation may be swirling online and in person. Don’t contribute to the rumor mill; make sure that any information that you share—including about the fires’ origins, the response, and extent of damages—comes from an official source.
- People will be feeling hopelessness, despair, anger, and anxiety as the disaster unfolds further. Take care of yourself, and if you are able, check in on your friends, family, and neighbors and be there for your community. Emotional support and solidarity are critical in this time.
- If you have the means to provide some sort of material assistance, check with official sources on what might be needed first—or better yet provide cash, which is always useful. Do not give any goods that are not specifically requested since these will take time and resources to process and may not be needed or useful. For places to donate, check this Los Angeles Times list.
- If your community has been affected by the fires, only return when given the official green light to do so. Even if the fires have died down, there may still be other hazards that could pose danger, and you may be compromising efforts of first responders.
Medium-Term (Weeks and Months)
As the fires subside, the focus will shift to dealing with the deeper effects of displacement and loss. This includes beginning the hard work of rebuilding—and finding ways to fund it. This means dealing with insurance and tapping government support, where available. This also is a time when feelings of loss or frustration can loom large, and the city will need to find ways to come together and support those affected most when the headlines have slowed.
- Federal disaster assistance will be available through FEMA’s individual assistance program. Individuals and businesses can apply for funding to cover repairs, temporary housing, and loans to cover uninsured losses. To begin the process of registering for this assistance, visit the DisasterAssistance.gov website and find the “Apply Now” link. Displaced and affected people should do this as soon as they are safe and able as some assistance under the Serious Needs Assistance program could cover immediate costs for those who are eligible.
- Filing insurance claims for wildfire losses in a large disaster can be a daunting process. Those affected should immediately contact their home insurer but expect
the process of reimbursement to stretch on for some time. The California Department of Insurance has tips for how to navigate things.
- Emotions will continue and evolve. Continue to check in on yourself and your community. Seek help if you need it—government agencies will likely launch counseling resources and programs in the weeks to come. Churches, community organizations, and other civil society groups are already providing pastoral support to their communities.
- The external media attention will begin to fall off as time progresses. Less attention may result in a drop-off in individual donations, especially from those less connected to the LA area. However, need will remain pronounced, particularly for poorer and more marginalized population with limited financial means and difficulties accessing government resources. If you have the means, consider continuing to support organizations who are working towards recovery.
Long-Term (Years and Decades)
Even as the built environment recovers and the LA area begins to move into a distant, post-fire future, wounds from an event of this magnitude will linger. The trauma and psychological effects will need to be managed through community-based work that rebuilds the sense of place and belonging many have lost.
Even as the built environment recovers and the LA area begins to move into a distant, post-fire future, wounds from an event of this magnitude will linger.
- Recognize the long-term nature of recovery. Recovery from large-scale catastrophe is a long, slow, process that will occur over years and decades. Although some people and communities will spring back relatively quickly it will take time for many others—particularly those that are lower resourced.
- Work to influence recovery decisions. Recovery cannot be a return to previous conditions since many of those conditions were irreparably destroyed in the disaster. Instead, it is a move towards something new and different. Deciding what that is falls to Angelenos themselves—your voice is needed to steer the recovery and establish a vision for what recovery looks like.
- Address psychological trauma. Time does not heal all wounds, and frustrations and uncertainties around the recovery can create new traumas. Community-level trauma can also be extensive, which can make recovery more difficult.
- Rebuilding community, including those that are far away, will be a part of LA’s future. Many Angelenos will leave the city and not return, but they leave behind friends, families, and neighbors they will still be connected to. Keeping and maintaining these connections can both help to strengthen the families immediately harmed by the fires and help reestablish the sense of community that has been damaged.
Jay Balagna is a Ph.D. candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND. Aaron Clark-Ginsberg is a social scientist at RAND and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.
