Using Data and GIS Tools to Support Access to Services for Displaced Wildfire Survivors in California

Impact

• Developed data-driven decision support tools to track trends in survivor displacement and service access.

• Identified relocation patterns and gaps in access to health and human services.

• Supported state and local partners to make informed decisions on resource allocation and recovery planning.

Background

Wildfires in California displaced residents from multiple communities, creating challenges in tracking where survivors relocated and whether they maintained access to essential health and human services. State and local partners needed timely, actionable data to understand displacement patterns, assess service availability, and ensure that survivors could continue to access care and support following relocation.

Recovery

Through the Health, Education, and Human Services Recovery Support Function (HEHS RSF), ASPR and state emergency services, public health, social services, and health care services partners developed geospatial and analytical tools to support data-driven recovery planning.

• The team analyzed aggregated, de-identified FEMA Individual Assistance data together with U.S. Postal Service change-of-address trends to understand broad displacement patterns after the fires. It then combined those findings with state licensing data to map health care and human services providers and assess service availability before and after the fires.

• The resulting analysis provided a clear picture of community-level relocation trends and changes in access to care, helping partners identify gaps and prioritize recovery resources. Maps, charts, and reports gave decision-makers a clearer understanding of regional needs and supported coordination across jurisdictions.