FEMA has announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the State of California to supplement response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from a chemical release beginning May 21, 2026, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all federal disaster response efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.
This assistance is for Orange County.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. FEMA is approved to provide emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program at 75% federal funding.
Mark O’Hanlon has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response operations in the affected areas. Designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
The original announcement can be found here.
