California: The Storm-Ready Checklist

Shelter & mitigation money

California runs Earthquake Brace + Bolt — check current eligibility and funding rounds directly on the program page before applying.

NAIC's June 2025 hurricane-deductible list does not name California; NAIC notes other states may still allow insurers to include one, and a separate wind/hail deductible can appear in any state's policy regardless (content.naic.org/insurance-topics/hurricane-deductibles).

Who to call, before and after

The hazards California actually faces

• Wildfire

  Peak season: Oct–Jan

  Wildfire risk to a home is decided mostly in the first five feet around the structure — the "home ignition zone" — where embers carried well ahead of the flame front land on roofs, gutters, and anything flammable pressed against the wall. A go-bag and a named evacuation trigger matter because wildfire evacuation orders can arrive with far less notice than a hurricane or even a tornado watch.

• Extreme heat

  Peak season: Jun–Aug

  Extreme heat kills more people in an average US year than any other weather hazard, and most of those deaths are preventable — the risk concentrates in the first heat wave of the season, before bodies acclimate, and in households without reliable cooling. Checking on elderly or isolated neighbors during a heat advisory does more than any single piece of equipment.

• Hail and derecho

  Peak season: Oct–Mar

  Hail and derecho winds arrive inside the same thunderstorm complex, often with less lead time than a tornado warning because the threat is the whole storm line, not a single funnel. Large hail totals more property-damage claims nationally than any other severe-storm hazard, and derecho wind gusts can match hurricane-force winds hundreds of miles from open water. Vehicles under cover and loose yard items secured before the line arrives are the cheap fix.

Rules worth knowing

• Emergency prescription refills: During a proclaimed state of emergency, a pharmacist may refill a prescription without the prescriber's authorization if the prescriber is unavailable after a reasonable effort to contact them; the statute sets no fixed days-supply cap for this provision specifically (Bus. & Prof. Code § 4064).
• Summer utility shutoff protection: CPUC bars electric disconnection for nonpayment when the CalHeatScore heat-index forecast crosses a set threshold (lowered in 2026 from 100°F to 90°F-equivalent), with utilities required to consult the index before any shutoff (California PUC).

Frequently asked