The Serrano Neighbors Helping Neighbors campaign raised over $60,000 to support our people hurt by the Sonoma and Napa fires. Thank you for your support!
This page is just getting started. Information has been collected from a variety of resources. Please help us by emailing your suggested resources to: [email protected]
With so many families struck by the tragic fires in Sonoma, Napa and the surrounding the communities, we’ve gathered as many Sonoma Napa Fire Information and Recovery Resources as we can find and compiled them here.
We will also be starting another page listing how ways we can all help in this time of need. We’d love your input on that list, too! [email protected]
Sonoma Napa Fire Information and Recovery Resources
Sonoma County Emergency Alerts
Evacuation Shelters in Surrounding Communities
Currently Open Urgent Care Clinics
Medications Many healthcare agencies, including pharmacies, are operational in our county. In addition, during this emergency, pharmacies are authorized to refill prescriptions without renewed contact with your physician. In addition, for new health needs, we encourage people to contact their primary care provider. Available pharmacies can be found here: http://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Public-Safety/News/Medication-Needs-During-This-Emergency/
Mortgage Information **VERY IMPORTANT** Please, if you have lost your home ( or are unsure if you have) continue to make your mortgage payments ON TIME. Not doing so can adversely affect your ability to get a loan for purchase, refinance or for construction of a home.
If you are in contract for home purchase or refinancing your home, things in Sonoma and Napa Counties are on hold until the disaster declaration is lifted. If you have questions call your lender or agent for your specific property. Real Estate Agents (realtors) and mortgage loan professionals understand your concerns and can help get you the answers you need.
Insurance Information Call your insurance company to file your claim as soon as possible. Most,if not all, insurance companies do not require you pay your deductible upfront. Make sure to contact your agent for clarity on your specific policy and situation.
Claims Numbers Farmers – 800-435-7764 State Farm – 800-782-8332 Allstate – 800-255-7828 AAA – 800-222-4357 Liberty Mutual – 617-357-9500 Nationwide – 800-421-3535
Shelters for animals
- Napa County Animal Shelter, 942 Hartle Court, Napa, will shelter dogs, cats, rabbits and other household animals. It also is looking for volunteers who can foster some pets as the shelter fills up.
- Pets Lifeline Animal Shelter, 19686 Eighth St. East, Sonoma, 707-996-4577, is taking small pets.
- Marin Humane is offering emergency board for animals already evacuated to Marin. Call 415-250-7009 for more information.
- If you have large animals, they’ll be accepted at Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road; Sonoma Valley High School FFA, 20000 Broadway, Sonoma; and at the Ukiah Fairgrounds, 1055 N. State St, Ukiah.
Tips for evacuating during an emergency
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- Keep your pet inside its kennel or cage while you evacuate. This is a very scary time for everyone, and the last thing you want is for your pet to run away, perhaps into danger.
- If for some reason you are forced to leave your pets behind, do not lock them in the house, a carrier or a dog run where they’d have no chance of escaping the fire.
- Grab collars and leashes, and a small supply of food that will hold your pet over for a day or two.
- Drinking water is important, especially for stressed animals.
- If possible, grab their bed or a blanket to provide them with a familiar scent and to give them a designated spot.
Apply for FEMA Disaster Relief Funds Those affected by the California wildfire should apply for assistance by calling toll-free to (800) 621-FEMA (3362). Disaster victims may register by calling this number. You do not have to wait to go to a disaster assistance center. The number for speech and hearing impaired individuals is (800) 462-7585. Federal disaster assistance available for residents and businesses in the affected counties includes temporary housing assistance, disaster loans and other needs assistance grants.
More Tips:
If you or someone you know has lost their home in these devastating fires, this will be helpful!
Start with the small list:
1. Get a PO Box
2. Longer term rental search – include insurance on it so they pay directly for rental. Find a nice place that you like, don’t settle. You should be able to get a “Like Property” so insurance should cover a nice place for you to live while you work through all this. You might be living here for 2 years, so choose wisely.
3. Find a place to buy some sturdy boots and gloves. Get some shovels.
4. Start working on the personal property list (this is not fun at all, be prepared to cry we sure did). Write down the moment you remember – keep list on phone or pad of paper with you at all times.
5. Save receipts. Loss of use insurance will cover incidentals too – hairbrush, phone chargers, etc.
6. As you buy things, tell the store owner your situation. Most stores will give you some level of discount as their way of helping you.
7. Let people do things for you. Do you have a friend that you can send to the store to buy you some basic clothes or comfort foods? Let them do it – they want to help and you don’t need to spend time doing these errands. (The ‘fun’ of shopping is gone…it quickly becomes a chore because you don’t want a new shirt, you want the one that you always liked to wear but now it’s gone and you are sad/mad.)
The Big List:
1. Register at the shelters, with Red Cross and any other agency there, california FEMA, etc. a. Most of the aid coming in will use these lists as a point of contact and will help to ensure that you don’t get left out of anything. b. This will be especially important should FEMA be activated, which in my opinion is very likely with the amount of devastation experienced.
2. Call Homeowners/Rental insurance to trigger “Loss of Use” . This typically will allow you to be in a “Like” property for x number of years and sometimes has a dollar limit attached and sometimes not, this is dependent on your policy. a. This coverage should also give you some immediate access to funds for essentials, clothes, toothbrushes, food, etc. b. This will also get the ball rolling for the insurance claim on your home and rebuilding/personal property Dollars.
3. Get a PO Box and forward all mail to the Box. . Use this PO Box as the mailing address on all forms you begin to fill out.
4. Start Searching for a Long term rental. . Coordinate with your insurance company so that payments can be made directly from them using your “Loss of Use” money. a. Plan on renting 1-2 years, but do not necessarily sign a lease for a full two years as circumstances can change.
5. Itemized List of belongings – (This is very hard but very necessary for your claim) . I would organize by room and list everything that was there with a replacement cost. (you will cry a lot doing this and that is ok) a. Replacement Cost should be what it would cost to replace not on sale from pottery barn, it should not be the price you paid for it with that 50% off coupon. b. Make sure you list everything, even if it is above and beyond your policy limit. This is very important because everything above and beyond the policy limit is considered a Loss and can be claimed as such on your taxes – See #9
6. Call all of your utilities and either freeze or cancel service. . Electric, Gas, TV, Land Line phone a. Newspaper delivery, either cancel or update to PO Box.
7. Call the rest of your insurance points as needed. . Car insurance a. Any specialty insurance for unique items
8. Permits – An unfortunate necessity. . Debris Removal – as things wind down it will be necessary to remove the debris, this requires a permit usually. (This should be covered by your insurance, we had to force the issue but ask repeatedly.) a. Erosion Control – If you are on any kind of hill or have sloped property you will need to put some sort of erosion control measures in place, again this will need some sort of permit. b. Temporary Power Pole/Trailer on site Permit – Getting this earlier on can prove helpful in both the rebuilding process.
9. Taxes . You will be able to claim the monetary loss of the value of all your items minus what you receive from your insurance company. I’m unfamiliar with the exact laws, but I believe that we were able to carry our losses back 2-5 years and received most of the money that we had paid in taxes back in a nice large check.
10. Network with others. You will learn so much from others as you go through the rebuilding process. We all have our strengths so share yours and use others. The amount of time that you will spend on the rebuild, insurance, recovery process is staggering so you need to use all your resources.
Long-Term Housing Resources
Prandi Property Management
Zumper
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This page is just getting started. Please help us by emailing your suggested resources to: [email protected]
