More than 1,700 individuals received financial assistance during January storms, county report shows

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday received an update on the emergency financial assistance support provided during the 2023 winter storms. A total of $812,853 was distributed from the Immediate Needs Fund to those impacted most by the winter storms. 

“Disasters – whether they come as floods, fires or pandemics – always lay their heaviest impacts on the most vulnerable members of our community,”  said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “Last winter’s storms caused widespread economic hardship in our county, and our emergency financial assistance fund helped hundreds of families feel a little more secure during that difficult time.”

In total more than 1,700 individuals received financial assistance. The funds were used to keep individuals housed, mitigate wage loss, prevent food insecurity and assist with paying for alternative housing for those who needed evacuations. Assessments were done at Recovery Support Centers to categorize needs and distribution amounts. 

Following the storms in late December and January, Recovery Support Centers and distribution sites were set up at three locations: Guerneville, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. They were later expanded to Petaluma and Sonoma as well. Staff even traveled to certain homes that were not able to travel for medical reasons. Individuals requesting funds were categorized into groups depending on the severity and eligibility. Funds were distributed in the range of $250 to $800. 

During the initial response, financial support went out to 1,097 individuals including roughly 600 who work in agriculture, fishing and/or forestry, 100 who work in restaurants, 100 in construction, and others who are engaged in domestic work, building maintenance or other areas. Residents who received assistance were from more than 30 different zip codes around Sonoma County. The criteria for assistance included lost jobs or income due to the storms, damage to residences, the need for food replacement due to power outages and other storm impacts.

After an initial round of financial assistance through the $2 million Immediate Needs Fund set up by the Board of Supervisors, the county then partnered with Petaluma People Services Center, which distributed a total of $96,140 in additional county funds to storm victims, including $70,000 in rental assistance, $17,400 for food and $8,740 in indirect expenses.

The county also distributed $62,963 in assistance through the Sonoma County Grape Grower’s Foundation to workers who experienced losses during the storms. The foundation provided an additional funding match of $30,800 and distributed a total of $89,000 by providing $250 gift cards to 356 individuals.

Overall, nearly $1.19 million remains in the Immediate Needs Fund, the Board was told. As a result, the county will move forward with issuing a Request for Proposal to contract with community-based organizations that will be ready to issue financial assistance, in partnership with the county, during a future disaster. The selection of partnering community-based organizations would ensure a quick and efficient distribution of funds to speed up recovery efforts. 

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Media Contact:
Gilbert Martinez, Communications Specialist 
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403