Publications

REBUILDING LIVES: Disaster Response and Recovery for Older Adults and People with Disabilities in California

November 2025

Executive Summary

Disasters disproportionately affect older adults and people with disabilities. The Los Angeles area wildfires in January of 2025 claimed the lives of at least 31 residents, 26 of whom were either over the age of 65 or had a disability. Even with such figures becoming the norm, local agencies are not integrating their most vulnerable residents into emergency planning.

Many individuals, especially older adults, have not prepared for disasters with a plan or the necessary evacuation resources. Those fortunate to evacuate face additional challenges. Evacuation centers during the Eaton fires lacked data on residents with access and functional needs, leading to shortages of accessible equipment and critical medical supplies. Medical staff were overwhelmed, and many lacked experience and training in the specialized needs of older adults and people with disabilities.

Recovery is often longer and more arduous for older adults. Those who have lost homes face barriers to rebuilding and rehousing in a strained market beyond their means. Navigating insurance is complicated and compounded by a lack of legal resources. Additionally, growing evidence shows unscrupulous and illegal business tactics are perpetrated on older adults who have lost their homes.

Older adults may experience lasting instability after a traumatic disaster. The loss of a long-term facility drastically alters a resident’s continuity of care, while behavioral health issues persist long into the recovery process and compound existing behavioral health needs. Previous fires, like the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, show that widespread displacement of older adults can persist and reshape entire communities.

State and local agencies must prepare for more frequent and intense natural disasters by focusing on their most vulnerable residents. Local groups are crucial to fostering resiliency in the populations they serve. They are integral to providing recovery services while strengthening communities through member-driven collaboration.

Older adults and people with disabilities are disproportionately victims of natural disasters

Of the 31 identified victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires, all but four were either over age 65 or had a disability. The median age of the victims was 76.*

*Data compiled by CCoA using a public database from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.