(film reel clattering) - Welcome to today's news briefing presented by California Office of Emergency Services, Cal OES, and LISTOS California, co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media.

I'm Sandy Close, EMS director.

For the last several weeks, severe storms pummeled communities across the state, underscoring the critical need to inform Californians about the vital resources available to them during these extreme weather events.

Now, I turn the conference over to our moderator, Regina Brown-Wilson, executive director of California Black Media.

She will introduce our speakers.

Regina, take it away.

- You're gonna hear from experts working on the front lines.

Our speakers first up will be Diana Crofts-Pelayo, assistant director for Crisis Communications and Public Affairs with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

She'll provide a brief summary of the impact of the latest round of storms as well as those areas of the state that were hit the hardest.

We'll also hear from Cal OES's Vance Taylor, who's the chief of the agency's Office of Access and Functional Needs.

He'll take us through the state's coordinated emergency response systems during these severe weather events.

Then, you'll hear from Dr. Jason Wilken, who is CDC's Career Epidemiology Field Officer assigned to California's Department of Public Health; and Kim Johnson, director of the California Department of Social Services.

Diana, I'll let you go ahead and start.

- Hey, everyone.

Thank you so much, Regina.

Nice to see you again.

I'm Diana Crofts-Pelayo.

I'm with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

We so appreciate the opportunity to talk with you all today about the recent storms that have impacted our state.

For those of you who are perhaps unfamiliar with our agency, Cal OES is the critical hub to direct state emergency activities and harness the expertise of the whole of state government, while working with our local, federal, and tribal partners.

We firmly believe every Californian, regardless of age, ability, income, or language, deserves culturally competent education to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, including flooding.

Through LISTOS California, the state has engaged a trusted network of community-based organizations, tribal governments, and CERT teams, Community Emergency Response Teams, across the state to provide accessible in-language information during these trying times.

We have experienced destructive flooding of homes, businesses and communities.

Those include levee breaches, mudslides.

hurricane force winds in many of our communities, and even a tornado.

These storms are among the most deadly natural disasters in the modern history of our state.

There's already been 20 reported deaths, unfortunately.

To keep Californians safe, the full weight of the state and federal government has been rapidly deployed to protect impacted communities.

The state is committed to continuing to support California communities and maximizing state and federal aid to those who have been adversely impacted by these winter storms.

On January 12th, Governor Gavin Newsom requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration.

The president, President Joe Biden, approved this Major Disaster Declaration on January 14th for three specific counties: Merced, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz.

I'll kind of maybe explain a little bit about what that Major Disaster Declaration actually means for you.

And then, our next speaker, Vance Taylor, will kind of talk about some of the resources that California communities can benefit from because of this declaration.

So, the president can declare a Major Disaster Declaration for any natural event that the president believes has caused damage of such a severity that it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond.

A Major Disaster Declaration provides a full, wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure.

So, following that Major Disaster Declaration, Cal OES continues to work closely with FEMA to maximize aid and support communities during this storm event.

We have made a request for additional counties to be added to the Major Disaster Declaration to receive individual and public assistance as warranted by results of assessing the damage locally.

While damage assessments are critical to establishing a basis, to add a county as a designation in the Major Disaster Declaration, it's imperative that emergency response and lifesaving activities still remain a priority and go uninterrupted during storm conditions.

So, we're committed to coordinating with local officials to rapidly conduct these assessments and add any additional counties as appropriate.

So, we received a report this morning from the National Weather Service and, as we look into the coming days, we are seeing clear skies ahead.

What I will say is that tomorrow... Tonight into tomorrow you may still see some scattered storms in Northern California and Central California.

But ultimately the big storm event, the big kind of weather system that's been creating what are called "atmospheric rivers" is going to be coming to an end.

We should see clear skies starting Friday.

My-- Like I had said...

I had mentioned earlier, my partner Vance Taylor at Cal OES will explain a little bit more about the resources available to Californians, because of this Major Disaster Declaration.

And, I will reiterate what Sandy Close said in the beginning, "it's not too late to be prepared for the next emergency."

It really is incumbent upon us all to talk as loved ones, family, and friends, about emergency plans should another storm happen, or an earthquake, or even a wildfire later on in the season.

So, have those conversations with your family now, have an emergency kit ready.

If you need to leave your house quickly, have a kit if you need to stay at home.

And then, that communicating and checking in with loved ones can really also help be part of this overall culture of preparedness and resilience that we can have here in California.

With that, I will hand it over to the next speaker.

Thank you.

- Excellent.

Thanks, Regina.

I really appreciate it.

And, thank you to Diana.

So, as was indicated, and as everybody knows, we've been going through a pretty rough patch.

Like we've had atmospheric river, after atmospheric river, after atmospheric river, and even though we have a break in the weather, we know that- just like anything- that could change.

And, more rain could be on its way.

What we recognize is that anytime there are these type of disasters, that there are individuals who are disproportionately impacted by those disasters.

And, we're talking about older adults; we're talking about people with disabilities; we're talking about people who are economically disadvantaged or transportation disadvantaged; people with access or functional needs.

And so, to ensure that our emergency management systems, programs, and services are being rolled out in a way that's equitable and accessible to everyone, it's a top priority of the governor's, of everyone at OES, and our partners with FEMA.

So, what I wanna make sure is that everybody understands that we are working to ensure our systems are gonna be working for everyone.

As a part of that, we're looking at how do we leverage the resources made available through this major declaration that was approved by the President on the 14th.

If you live in one of the three approved counties, and we are anticipating that other counties will be brought in, but you're gonna be available, or "eligible", rather, to apply for federal assistance through FEMA.

And, some of that means being eligible potentially for grant money.

It means being able to have essential items such as furniture or durable medical equipment replaced.

It means potentially having assistance with rental aid.

It could also mean being provided with housing and other needs assistance: things like eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other assistance devices.

Individuals will also be able to apply for assistance to receive low interest SBA loans and other mechanisms to help them essentially recover and financially to get back on their feet.

In order to apply for that disaster assistance, there's a phone number.

It's 1-800-621-3362 that you can call.

You can also use a FEMA mobile app or apply online.

It's important that everybody understands that these services are available in different languages, that if you need ASL or captioning, that those services are also available.

To make sure that people are able to register, FEMA will be sending out disaster survivor assistance teams to shelters in approved areas.

Those are individuals that are going to work to provide any support that's needed in the registration process.

So, for example, if you need language assistance, they'll provide it.

If there's issues regarding literacy, they can read questions and explain questions, and fill out paperwork and documentation for you.

We're also gonna set up, in partnership with FEMA, mobile registration intake centers.

That's essentially gonna be a service that will drive to locations where individuals are served, so that people don't have to find a way to drive to shelters or access services through other means.

So, we're essentially trying to get to the community, take a one-by-one approach, and make sure that everyone that's been impacted that lives in an approved county is able to register for services.

While all this is going on, we wanna remind people that just because it's sunny today doesn't mean that you're necessarily out of hazard's way, right?

We still have to plan so that we're safe and secure, resilient, independent, and healthy tomorrow.

So, we're encouraging everyone, especially individuals if you have access or functional needs, make an evacuation plan, right?

Think of five people who can help you evacuate.

These are people that you can call 24/7.

These are people that know you and your needs and that are a part of your support network.

Make a list, talk to them about what you might need, and make sure that they're ready.

Also, follow guidance from local authorities.

If they say you gotta go to a shelter or rather that you have to evacuate, then, please evacuate.

Know that the shelters are accessible.

Know that we work to make sure that access and functional needs are considered and that shelters have full accessible wraparound services.

So, if they tell ya to evacuate, ya gotta go!

And, make sure you know what's going on.

Sign up for free emergency alerts.

You can go to calalerts.org and sign up for free emergency alerts.

If you don't know what's going on, you won't know what to prepare for or what appropriate action to take.

So, please sign up for alerts, have a plan, and if you're in an impacted area that's been approved in the disaster make sure you register for FEMA assistance.

- [Regina] Dr. Wilken?

- Thanks for the invitation to present this morning.

This information is really intended for protecting the public's health when returning home following a flood.

And, the best advice is really to avoid floodwater whenever possible.

Floodwater can contain all sorts of things that are harmful for your health.

It can contain toilet waste and associated bad germs.

It can have hazardous chemicals including things like gasoline.

It can contain hidden heavy, or sharp objects.

Floodwater is typically murky and muddy, and you can't see very well in it, and it's very easy to become injured on a sharp or a heavy object that's hidden.

Floodwater can also be in contact with downed power lines.

And, floods can also cause the migration of animals.

So, you can have live or dead animals in floodwater that you might not normally come in contact with.

So, the best thing that you can do to protect your health is to avoid contact with floodwater.

Contact or consuming contaminated food or water can cause serious illness, including diarrhea and skin infections.

And children are, of course, especially at risk based on their behavior.

So, if you have children, do not allow them to play in floodwaters or near floodwaters.

Don't let them play with toys or anything that floodwater has gotten wet until those items can be disinfected.

And, always make sure to wash their hands with soap and water often and always before meals.

That's a good practice at any point, but during a flood, it's especially important.

Next, if you must be in contact with floodwater, if you're in an area that's been flooded, wear rubber gloves and wear rubber boots.

This is a very good way to protect your skin from contact with floodwater.

It's a very good way of making sure that you don't accidentally ingest floodwater.

Can we go to the next slide, please?

Now, floods can also have substantial impacts on your drinking water.

It can make drinking water unsafe to drink if it has been contaminated with floodwater.

So, if you are on municipal water, if you have tap water, your local water authorities will let you know whether the tap water is safe to use, or whether it has to be boiled, or whether it should not be used at all.

So, keep tabs with your local water authorities.

They will tell you whether your tap water is safe to use.

If you have a flooded well, then get in touch with local environmental health or with your water department for advice on how to test and disinfect your well.

Bottled water itself is safe, but sealed bottles of water could still have been in contact with floodwater.

So, the outsides of those bottles, if they were in contact with floodwater, can be contaminated.

And, the best way to disinfect those sealed bottles is to boil them for one minute.

Flooding can also contaminate food and contaminated food is unsafe to eat.

So, other than undamaged cans or metal pouches, you should throw out any fresh or packaged food that had been touched by floodwater.

And, even in the case of sealed metal containers, those should still be cleaned and the outside should be cleaned and disinfected before consuming what's on the inside.

Let's talk about cleaning and disinfecting for a moment.

The most common and recommended cleaner is a tablespoon of bleach into a gallon of water for cleaning utensils, for cleaning surfaces.

This is a good all-purpose cleaner, but I think it's very important for people to keep in mind that you should never combine cleaners.

So, bleach plus ammonia for example will actually cause chlorine gas to be created and that is something that can easily-- quickly overwhelm and incapacitate someone.

So, never mix cleaners.

So, I think with that, I'll conclude and take any questions.

- Thank you so much for that, Dr. Wilken.

We'll go now to Director Kim Johnson.

- Thank you and good morning.

Thanks for the opportunity.

I would just note the tremendous work that has been mentioned with previous speakers that all local communities have been doing across the state.

And so, as it relates to county social service agencies, tribes, community-based organizations, we're just completely appreciative of the partnership and support in supporting communities across the board.

So, a couple of resources, and I'll make sure I also add these to the chat.

One is just our main website, so that's cdss.ca.gov And again, I'll add these after I'm done talking here which can link to a number of resources including a disaster assistance kind of resource center and hub where you can find resource guides, including a disaster resource guide specific to immigrant communities in English and in Spanish.

And, I would just note that a lot of our kind of safety net service delivery is expanding in real time based on what you heard earlier related to the proclamations and the Major Disaster Declaration that the President authorized.

So, things like Disaster CalFresh, food assistance and support.

The three counties that have been approved to date will have Disaster CalFresh offerings coming up in these same local assistance centers or registration components that were earlier referenced to get people connected to temporary emergency food resources.

So, that's a very big and additional resource that is essentially turned on with the major declaration that we'll provide additional information about.

But today, the over 5 million individuals that are currently participating in CalFresh, those who have had, for example, had power outages related to these storm events, those kinds of things, and have lost the food resources that they had otherwise purchased, can get those replaced within 10 days of that loss by just contacting their county social service agency.

And again, that's right on our homepage on the website to find your county resource information.

I would also just note that we find in these events that individuals and families, and households are impacted maybe in ways that they aren't anticipating.

In addition to all of the great federal resources that have been mentioned, we do obviously have the most robust safety net array of any other state across the country.

And so, whether that's, again, food assistance, cash assistance for families, housing assistance, these kinds of resources; that's exactly what we're here to support and provide.

And again, based on the needs of the individual, connect them to-- and again, that's typically through, again, a county social service agency.

If it's a tribe, there are specific programs that are available for tribal members like Tribal TANF, tribal food programs, et cetera, that are gonna be specific there, as well.

I'll just again note those resource guides have all of these listed out and links to then connect to them.

So, we-- again, we wanna make sure that's available to everyone.

And then, I also just wanna note, and maybe you've seen these in some of the press releases that we've had over the last several days.

Just the ability and opportunity for individuals who are impacted to simply really navigate this change, and just recognizing the tremendous stress that impacted people are having related to this event.

So, we do have and continue to support and share out the CalHOPE line which you can reach either by phone or through the website and get connected to someone who can just support you in helping navigate the events that have occurred.

So that's, again, 1-833-317-HOPE or calhope.org And again, I'll put that in the chat.

In addition, we also think very much, as Vance Taylor referenced, about additional vulnerable communities and especially as it relates to our older loved ones who might be isolated; maybe you can't get to kind of the regular touchpoints and social connections that they're used to.

So, we also have our Friendship Line for older adults available at 1-888-670-1360.

And so, again, wanna make sure we're putting out these opportunities and resources for real connections for those impacted, again, who might be disrupted in their living circumstances and situations.

So again, in terms of the variety array of resources, everything from getting that person to talk to, to a person that's gonna connect, to additional basic meet-- Meeting your basic needs: food, cash, housing, resources.

And so, thanks again for the opportunity to join you this morning, and glad to take any questions.

- We'll end with the Philippine News, Francis' question.

How-?

Maybe each one of you can give 10 seconds.

(reads chat) "How can we protect our loved ones, "especially our elders?

They will be-- "They will be contacted and may be scammed.

What can we do?"

Just 10 seconds from each of you.

What can we do to make sure that they stay protected?

- Hey, Regina.

I'll go first.

Diana Crofts-Pelayo, OES.

I think that this is where our media has a huge role to play, too.

You guys are trusted messengers within the communities.

And so, if you are able to spread this information about the right and the wrong places to go, I think that will be a huge help.

- [Regina] Thanks.

Vance, do you have anything to say?

- Yeah, I...

It's a great question and I think a lot of it comes down to a support network, right?

That we have to be willing to do a bit of hand-holding and really walk people through and do acute case management when it comes to registering, right?

Use the links that we provide; use the links that FEMA provides.

Don't go to respond to any emails you don't recognize.

There's always a phone number you can call to verify.

And, just keep in close contact with the whole community and make sure we support each other on that front.

- Thank you.

Dr. Wilken?

[background outro music] - I suppose it's not unheard of for people to, say, impersonate somebody from a health department or environmental health.

So, I would say if anybody-- If you're ever unexpectedly contacted by someone from a health department, or claiming to be from the health department, claiming to be from local environmental health, any of those agencies, you can always ask to see their identification, and verify that they are who they are.

- Great.

And, Director Johnson?

- Yeah, I agree with my colleagues here.

And, just would also note that we do have a number of resources if you just search for Adult Protective Services and other supports, just to be aware; things that you can also amplify and spread the message around of exactly what this group has just said about checking and verifying who you're speaking to.

So, I appreciate that question.

- Thank you to our speakers today.

Hope everyone has a great afternoon.

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