Californians Impacted by Severe Winter Storms Stay on the Road to Recovery

In response to the powerful storms and extreme flooding that struck Southern California earlier this year, Governor Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on February 4, 2024, for the eight counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The emergency proclamation (PDF) includes provisions facilitating unemployment benefits for impacted residents, among other actions.

After a Presidential Disaster Declaration in February, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) determined San Diego residents who lost jobs or self-employment were  eligible to apply for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits. DUA provides temporary unemployment assistance to individuals who do not qualify for regular, state unemployment benefits, such as farmworkers, business owners, and the self-employed.

In addition, we awarded a grant of $995,000 to the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) to help with immediate recovery efforts after the storms.  SDWP actively engages with local employers to provide comprehensive flood-relief information and support through employee retention and recruitment efforts.