City estimates $358 million in initial wildfire and windstorm damages; CAO outlines FEMA process and short-term staffing window

Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo told the Los Angeles City Council on Jan. 22, 2025, that the city has submitted an initial damage estimate of $358 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for costs associated with the Jan. 7–10 windstorm and wildfire response.

The estimate covers emergency response, infrastructure and structural damage, and debris removal tied to the event, and Szabo said it is preliminary and likely to grow as departments complete field assessments. "This is our first, preliminary report on the costs and the damages, associated with the fire and the windstorm event," Szabo said to the council.

Why it matters: The estimate will drive the city’s reimbursement requests to state and federal disaster programs. Patty Huber, executive officer and assistant city administrative officer, said the city has already submitted the initial damage estimate to FEMA through the county and state and is preparing the next steps in the federal public-assistance process. "We have submitted our initial damage estimate to FEMA," Huber said. The council and CAO discussed how the city will front costs and the staffing and documentation needed to secure federal reimbursements.

Key figures and preliminary damage breakdown

- Initial damage estimate submitted to FEMA: $358,000,000 (covering Jan. 7–10 period). - Infrastructure and city property/structure damage within that total: about $350,000,000. - Estimated staffing and overtime costs (Jan. 7–17): at least $24,000,000. - Department-level initial estimates cited by the CAO: Department of Water and Power (DWP) about $75,000,000; Los Angeles Public Library about $55,000,000 (including a destroyed Pacific Palisades branch and HVAC impacts at 73 libraries); Sanitation about $50,000,000 (stormwater structures and pumping plants); street and outdoor lighting about $20,000,000 (the CAO later summarized street-lighting damage around $16,000,000); Recreation and Parks over $150,000,000, including more than $100,000,000 to park amenities across at least 12 parks.

FEMA reimbursement rules discussed

Szabo and Huber told the council that FEMA typically reimburses 75% of eligible emergency and reconstruction costs, with the state often covering a portion of the remainder. For this event, Huber said an administration-level announcement provides 100% reimbursement for two narrow categories—staffing and debris removal—for a limited window (described in the briefing as roughly 180 days). Szabo described the usual flow: the city fronts costs, applies through the state to FEMA, and then receives partial reimbursement. "Under the 75% reimbursement model, again, we front 100% of the money. The federal government will reimburse 75%. And then of the remainder, that 25%, we do typically receive reimbursement from Cal OES," Szabo said, summarizing the typical federal-state cost share.

Council members pressed the CAO on how the estimates were compiled, how quickly the city can capture reimbursable costs and whether the city has the staffing capacity to meet FEMA deadlines. Councilmember Park asked, "These initial estimates do seem pretty initial. What are they based on? Have you been in and walked the area?" Szabo and Huber responded that the department estimates were compiled from department reports, video and drone footage and preliminary assessments; full, ground-level scoping and FEMA site visits will refine those numbers.

Staffing, hiring and consultants

Councilmembers repeatedly asked whether the city can deploy enough personnel and whether to use overtime, contract support, the city hiring hall or consultants to document damage and accelerate work during the 100%-reimbursable window. Szabo and Huber said departments should deploy as needed and that overtime for response personnel is intended to be fully reimbursable in the limited period; they also said the city is working with Cal OES to embed technical staff in departments. "They need to deploy as much as they need to. They can use overtime," Szabo said, adding that the CAO will identify funds to front those costs and then seek reimbursement.

Scope and timing of FEMA engagement

Huber said the next step is a FEMA recovery-scoping meeting with affected city departments, currently estimated for late February. That meeting will inform the project-by-project scope of eligible work for reconstruction and infrastructure repairs; FEMA will determine eligibility by site visits and review of maintenance records. Huber cautioned that larger reconstruction projects are reimbursed over a longer timeframe because they require completed scopes before payments.

Debris removal, hazardous materials and equity concerns

Councilmembers raised debris removal and disposal logistics, including hazardous-material procedures, landfill capacity and whether the city or federal programs would manage debris on private property. Huber said the city will handle debris removal in public right-of-way and on public facilities; individual private-property debris removal is handled through FEMA’s individual-assistance or state programs. She added that contractors for hazardous debris removal must meet certification requirements.

Financial implications and next steps

The CAO said the city will identify short-term sources of cash to front eligible costs so the city need not draw directly on its reserves, and that the CAO will return with more detailed lists and recommendations. Szabo and Huber said they will continue departmental cost collection and coordination with Cal OES and FEMA.

The council did not take formal action on item 10; the CAO closed by saying the item will return for additional reports. "We'll continue this item," Szabo said.

Ending: The council pressed the CAO for follow-up detail on staffing, debris removal timelines and the precise list of damaged city facilities. Members requested that department-level, itemized damage lists be provided to the council as the CAO refines estimates and prepares FEMA project scoping.