City Proclaims Local Emergency To Qualify For Flood Cleanup Funding

SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London Breed issued a local, retroactive proclamation of emergency in San Francisco on Monday in order to qualify for state and federal assistance for storm cleanup efforts that have been in the works since New Year's Eve.

Thanks to President Joe Biden's approval of California's proclaimed state of emergency, the city is now eligible for disaster relief efforts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Federal agencies will coordinate all flood mitigation efforts and provide 75 percent of funding directly.

Once ratified by the Board of Supervisors, the proclamation will include any impacts from the series of winter storms that have occurred since New Year's Eve. The emergency proclamation can be in place for 30 days, with one opportunity to renew it for another 30 days if approved by the supervisors.

City employees will also be able to work as disaster services workers, which will make it easier for the city to conduct services like sandbag distribution and downed tree removals.

Since the holiday season and well into early January, San Francisco has been hit with a series of winter storms that have caused flooding, mudslides and power outages throughout the city.

The National Weather Service said the city has received a hefty 8 inches of rain since New Year's Eve.

In response, city crews have responded to over 3,600 storm-related flooding mitigation and tree removal requests, handed out more than 15,000 sandbags and increased the amount of warming center shelter beds for unhoused residents.

"This proclamation is an important step to ensure the City and County is eligible for any funding that comes from the federal government to address storm impacts," Breed said in a statement. "We have been directing resources to support our residents and small businesses, and activating staff all across the City. I want to thank the President and the Governor for their support of the communities impacted by our storms, not just in San Francisco but across the Bay Area and Northern California."

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