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Emergency Relief Program

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DISASTER FIRST STEPS (for funding assistance to local agencies)

  1. Immediately Contact your local CalOES representative to report damages (CalOES Rep)
  2. Report federal on-system roadway disaster damage to Caltrans (IDE Form)

Hot Topics/New News

  • 🚨 Be Prepared Before Disaster Strikes!

    Don't miss the Emergency Program Refresher Training on November 19, 2026. This 2.5-hour webinar will equip participants with essential emergency management knowledge and practical tools for disaster response. Cities, counties, tribes, and Caltrans DLAEs are encouraged to attend. Click the flyer link below for webinar access details and additional information.

    ER Program Refresher Training Flyer
  • 2026-2027 Developing El Niño
    • The Governor has issued a proactive statewide state of emergency proclamation in preparation for this year’s El Niño. ER applications require an event specific Governor’s proclamation or Presidential major disaster declaration. Future events, even if related to the developing El Niño, will still require their own event specific proclamation for Caltrans to apply for ER disaster assistance.
    • Please note that preventive work to avoid damage to a highway facility in anticipation of a disaster event is not eligible for ER funding per FHWA’s 2013 ER Manual Chapter II.C.12
  • New Potential ER Disasters
    • CA27-1 October 2026 Tropical Storm Rachel
    • CA26-5 September 2026 Tropical Storm Marie
      • Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation not yet released but is anticipated for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties
      • Letter of Intent submitted to FHWA on 10/23/26 for damages from Tropical Storm Marie starting September 5, 2026
      • Please submit Initial Damage Estimates for any local damage to ER.IDE.Submittals@dot.ca.gov
      • Letter of Intent submitted to FHWA on 10/23/26
      • Letter of Acknowledgement received from FHWA on 10/27/26
        • Tentative Start Date: 9/5/26
        • Tentative DAF Due Date: 1/31/27
    • CA26-4 August 2026 Wildfire
      • Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation not yet released for Hoopa Fire in Humboldt County
      • Letter of Intent submitted to FHWA on 10/23/26 for damages from Hoopa Fire starting August 7, 2026
      • Please submit Initial Damage Estimates for any local damage to ER.IDE.Submittals@dot.ca.gov
      • Letter of Intent submitted to FHWA on 10/23/26
      • Letter of Acknowledgement received from FHWA on 10/27/26
        • Tentative Start Date: 8/7/26
        • Tentative DAF Due Date: 1/31/27
  • Latest ER Disasters
    • CA26-3 February 2026 Storms
      • Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation released for Glenn, Humboldt, and Mendocino Counties on 9/21/26
      • Finding of Eligibility received from FHWA dated 10/21/26
        • Disaster Start Date: 2/15/26
        • DAF Due Date: 1/31/27
    • CA26-1 Late December 2025 Storms
      • Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta issued on 12/24/25
      • Additional Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamations for Mendocino, Sonoma, and Ventura Counties on 4/17/26 for damage starting 12/16/25
      • Additional Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation for Sonoma County released on 4/17/26 for damage starting 12/31/26
      • Additional Governor’s State of Emergency Proclamation for Santa Barbara County released on 9/21/26 for damage starting 12/24/25
      • Finding of Eligibility received from FHWA on 5/27/26
        • Disaster Start Date: 12/16/25
        • DAF due date extended to: 9/30/26
      • Received FHWA Supplemental Finding of Eligibility dated 10/21/26, which adds Santa Barbara County to the disaster
        • DAF due date extended to: 11/30/26 only for Santa Barbara region
    • Received FHWA Supplemental Finding of Eligibility dated 10/21/26, which adds Santa Barbara County to the disaster
    • Quick Release (QR) Funds
      • No QR funds currently available
    • Did You Realize…
      • The DAF deadlines, disaster begin dates, and the EO 100% reimbursement end date for each disaster is on this ER web site. See the Disaster Information link (bullet in Emergency Relief Program Websites side menu), then click on the ER Project Disaster Information link.
      • You can find disaster Proclamations and other official, ER related documents on this ER web site. Check out the Disaster Declarations link in the Emergency Relief Program Websites side bar, then scroll to the second table on the page (below the Disaster Proclaimed Events and Locations table)
         

The Program

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) Program was authorized by Congress to repair or reconstruct federal-aid routes that have suffered serious damage as a direct result of a declared event (see Title 23, United States Code, Section 125). The program is available to State and Local Agency transportation departments with roads suffering serious damage from natural disasters or catastrophic failures from external causes. ER funding is intended to supplement resources from States, localities and other Federal agencies to help in the repair of facilities damaged by eligible events.

Important Note

Local agencies reporting disaster damage information must report their damages to both CalOES and Caltrans, separately. CalOES and Caltrans separately administer different disaster relief funding programs, with very different requirements. For this reason, local agencies will need to make sure they are sharing all their disaster damage information separately, with both CalOES and Caltrans. Local agencies should not assume the information shared with Caltrans will be shared with CalOES. If the local agency is unsure of who their CalOES contact is they should call their CalOES region to find out. CalOES regional contact information can be obtained on the web at: Regional Operations.

For project specific and call for projects questions, please contact your:

For general program questions you may contact: 

Dalton LaBoskey (Districts 4,8,9)

Anmol Mishra (Districts 5,6,7,10,11,12)

Seng Lo (Districts 1,2,3)

For Final Voucher or Statement of Final Cost Inquireries to CalOES:

Dennis.Huitt@Caloes.ca.gov

Disasterrecovery@Caloes.Ca.gov

Please feel free to send comments regarding this web site to the DLA Webmaster.




Emergency Relief Program Websites