Immediate Steps After a Natural Disaster in Oregon: Safety, Shelter, Food & Support
If you just lived through a wildfire, flood, earthquake, or other natural disaster in Oregon, you may feel overwhelmed. You might be unsure what to do next or where to get help.
This article explains the first steps to getting help with safety, shelter, food, and other urgent needs.
You can also visit our Disaster Relief Hub for more information on disaster-related legal issues like filing insurance claims or accessing disaster assistance funds.
Step 1: Make sure you and your family are safe
Your safety is the most important thing. Here are a few tips for staying safe:
- Sign up for emergency alerts so you know if you need to evacuate. You can sign up at oralert.gov.
- If authorities tell you to evacuate, leave right away!
- If you're in immediate danger, call 911.
- Stay in touch with friends and family if possible. Provide frequent updates as the situation changes.
You can refer to this article for more information on preparing for disasters.
Step 2: Find emergency housing
During a disaster, you may need to leave your home. If you need help finding a place to stay, you can:
- Check with your county's emergency management office. Each Oregon county has an emergency management office that helps coordinate resources during and after a disaster. They often open shelters or cooling and warming centers for disaster survivors.
- Call 211. This free helpline can connect you with shelters, food, water, and other nearby help.
- Use the American Red Cross website or app. You can find open shelters at redcross.org, call 1-800-733-2767, or download the app here.
Evacuating pets and livestock: If you have pets or livestock, make a plan before you have to evacuate. For small pets, find a friend or family member who can watch your pet or locate pet-friendly housing, such as a motel or campground. For large animals, find a livestock evacuation site ahead of time. You can call your county emergency management for help finding one in your area. Many counties offer temporary shelter for livestock at places like fairgrounds.
Step 3: Find food and other basic supplies
After a disaster, you may not have access to your home or basic supplies like food, clothes, or medications. Here are some resources that can help:
- Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT): These volunteer teams help coordinate food, clothing, and other supplies after a disaster. They may go door-to-door offering help, and they also set up stations at churches, schools, or other community gathering places.
- Call 211. This free helpline can connect you with shelters, food, water, and other nearby help.
- Social media: After a disaster, your local community may organize disaster-related help using social media, like Facebook or Nextdoor. Check your local groups to see what help is available.
- Food pantries: Local food banks and community centers may offer free groceries or meals during emergencies. The Oregon Food Bank food finder tool can help you find help in your area.
- Food stamps: You may qualify for Disaster SNAP (food stamps) or other government assistance programs to help you afford basic needs.
Step 4: Report damage to the county
If your home or property was damaged, report the damage to your local or tribal emergency manager—even if you don't have insurance. Find your local emergency manager here.
Reporting damage helps emergency officials understand how many people were affected by the disaster. Oregon’s government needs to know just how much damage has been caused in case the governor needs to ask for disaster relief money from the federal government.
Tip: You should report damage even if you're a renter. If your rental home or apartment was damaged, you may also have the right to break your lease or get repairs—see our Renters' Rights After a Disaster article.
Step 5: Once you’re safe, start making longer-term plans
Once you're safe and you've met your immediate needs, it's time to start thinking about long-term plans. You can visit our Disaster Relief Hub for help with your next steps, including:
- Filing insurance claims and negotiating with your insurance company.
- Applying for disaster-related government assistance.
- Replacing lost IDs and documents.
- Hiring a contractor to rebuild if your home is damaged or destroyed.
- Talking with your landlord (if you're a renter) to get repairs made or end your lease.
Step 6: Ask for help if you get stuck
Disasters can be traumatic. It's common to feel scared, tired, or overwhelmed. There is help:
- 211info: 211 is Oregon's statewide referral service. You can call this number to access local help, such as food pantries, shelters, legal services, counseling, and other support.
- David Romprey Oregon Warmline: This 24-hour peer hotline provides support in English and Spanish. Call 1-800-698-2392 or visit ccswebsite.org/warmline/ for more details.
- Disaster-related legal help: Contact Oregon's Lawyer Referral Service or your local legal aid office. You may qualify for free help with these issues.
Don't wait to ask for support. You're not alone. There are people and organizations in Oregon who can help. Start with the steps above, ask for support when needed, and take things one day at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can check highway and road closures on tripcheck.com.
During emergencies, local governments and organizations (like the Red Cross) may open temporary shelters. These shelters may be at local churches, schools, or other community centers. To find temporary shelter locations:
- Check with your county's emergency management office. Each Oregon county has an emergency management office that helps coordinate resources during and after a disaster. They often open shelters or cooling and warming centers for disaster survivors.
- Call 211. This free helpline can connect you with shelters, food, water, and other nearby help.
- Use the American Red Cross website or app. You can find open shelters at redcross.org, call 1-800-733-2767, or download the app here.
If you lost food in a disaster, call the Red Cross (1-800-Red-Cross) or 211 to find out about financial assistance options.
- You may qualify for Disaster SNAP (food stamps) or other government assistance programs.
- Local food banks and community centers may offer free groceries or meals during emergencies. You can find help in your area using the Oregon Food Bank website.
It varies and depends on the scope of the disaster.
- If it's a minor disaster and not many people are impacted, financial assistance will likely come from your insurance coverage (if you have it) and local charitable organizations.
- If it's a larger disaster that impacts many people, the governor of Oregon can declare an official disaster and use state resources to help the community recover. If the disaster is very serious, the President of the United States can also declare a disaster and use federal money to help the community recover.
For larger disasters, you may be able to get state or federal disaster funds to help you pay for expenses not covered by insurance, including:
- Temporary housing expenses.
- Rebuilding and repairing your home (if you're a homeowner).
- Essential items like food, water, baby formula, and other emergency supplies.
- Moving and storage expenses.
- Repairing or replacing personal property like appliances, furniture, and computers.
For more information on disaster assistance refer to this article.
Your county emergency management office is a good place to start. They work with local groups like the Red Cross, community action agencies, tribal governments, and faith-based organizations to get people the help they need. You can also call 211 to find other agencies near you.
Yes. You can visit www.oregon.gov/oem for updates from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management or www.disasterassistance.gov for national updates. You can also call 211.
Many Red Cross shelters don't allow pets. Making a plan for your pets before you have to evacuate is essential. You can ask friends or family to watch your pets. Or, contact hotels or campgrounds to find pet-friendly lodging options.
Plan ahead! To help you prepare for your pets’ needs during a disaster, visit www.ready.gov/pets.
If possible, have a plan in place for your pets and livestock before a disaster strikes, or as soon as possible if one already did.
- Be sure to have 7-10 days' worth of food and water and two weeks' worth of medication and other supplements.
- For small pets, find a friend or family member who can watch your pet or locate pet-friendly housing, such as a motel or campground.
- For large animals, find a livestock evacuation site ahead of time. You can call your county emergency management office for help finding one in your area. Many counties offer temporary shelter for livestock at places like fairgrounds.
- You may also be able to use social media to help you find temporary housing for pets or livestock during a disaster.
Many communities need volunteers after a disaster. Contact your county's emergency manager or join an existing group like your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Red Cross, or Team Rubicon.