DISASTERS IN CALIFORNIA: A RRIEF OVERVIEW OF PREPAREDNESS, PROCLAMATIONS AND ASSISTANCE

摘要

California has always been disaster-prone - but over the past several years, the state has faced more frequent and extreme events than ever seen before. Consider this: Since 2013, the governor proclaimed over 75 gubernatorial states of emergency, more than half of which occurred since 2017. When the severity and magnitude of a disaster exceed the state's capabilities and resources, it may qualify for a presidential major disaster declara-tion. Since 2013, there have been 12 major disaster declarations in California, nine of which were issued since 2017. Clearly, the disaster events of the past two years have been unprecedented. While California cities cannot predict or prevent the next disaster, they can and should take steps to maximize preparedness and build capabilities to be better equipped for responding to and recovering from a disaster.