Berkeley

Federal Grants, Loans Available to Those Affected By January Storms

Published

3 years ago

February 26, 2023

Serious disaster-related needs include medical and dental expenses, transportation, childcare, and moving and storage expenses. These FEMA grants apply to those eligible Berkeleyans who had storm-related property damage between Dec. 31, 2022 to Jan. 30, 2023.

Homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits can apply by March 16 for up to $37,900 in grants to cover property damage and a similar amount for other needs not covered by insurance. Small Business Administration loans can also help cover costs.

Berkeley homeowners, renters, and businesses can apply for federal funding to help pay for essential repairs or serious disaster-related needs resulting from the January storms that were not covered by insurance. Apply by phone, online, using an app, or in person. Serious disaster-related needs include medical and dental expenses, transportation, childcare, and moving and storage expenses.

These FEMA grants apply to those eligible Berkeleyans who had storm-related property damage between Dec. 31, 2022 to Jan. 30, 2023. Those who apply will be considered for two types of grants:

up to $37,900 for property damages to a primary residence.
up to $37,900 for other needs, such as a hotel stay while displaced, funds to replace damaged items, and increases to childcare or medical expenses during the disaster.

Loans for storm relief are also available to homeowners, renters, and businesses through the federal Small Business Administration. These loans can be paid off over thirty years and can have interest limits as low as 4 percent, depending on access to alternative credit. The loan types include:

Homeowners: Up to $200,000 to repair or replace a primary residence
Renters/Homeowners: Up to $40,000 to replace or repair personal property, like clothing, furniture, cars, or appliances
Businesses: Up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations or operating expenses that would have been avoided had the disaster not happened.

Often, flood damages aren’t covered by typical homeowner’s insurance, so these can be very costly repairs. See if the grants and loans can help you and your household.

People can apply for the FEMA grants online, by phone (1-800-621-3362), via app, or at a disaster assistance center. To apply for a Small Business Administration loan, see their disaster loan website, their application portal, and a factsheet about their loan products.

APPLICANTS MUST MEET ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

In general, applicants for the FEMA grants must meet all of the following conditions to qualify:

You or someone who lives with you is a U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien. If you have questions about FEMA’s citizenship and immigration requirements, please visit their website.
You pass FEMA’s identity and occupancy verification if it applies to you.
You have no insurance –or– have filed an insurance claim, but it does not cover all of your losses.
You have serious needs or expenses due to losses in a Presidentially declared disaster area.

Alameda County was recently added to the major disaster declaration for California’s severe storms and flooding. The declaration allows FEMA and the Small Business Administration to provide direct support to individuals, households, nonprofits, and businesses in Alameda County and other counties in California.

FEMA DISASTER ASSISTANCE HELPS COVER UNINSURED OR UNDER-INSURED EXPENSES

Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and essential home repairs as well as other serious disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses, transportation, childcare, and moving and storage expenses.

If you have insurance, first file a claim with your insurance provider. FEMA provides assistance to applicants for your uninsured or underinsured disaster-caused expenses and serious needs.

Applying does not guarantee that assistance will be awarded.

LEARN MORE ABOUT APPLYING

There are several ways you can apply for FEMA assistance under the Individual Assistance program:

Online: http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
FEMA mobile app(Google Play and iOS): https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-app-text-messages
Phone: 1 (800) 621-3362
In person:

Oakland Disaster Recovery Center
7001 Oakport Street, Oakland, CA 94566

Dublin Disaster Recovery Center
4825 Gleeson Drive, Dublin, CA 94568

Open February 10 until February 24, 2023, 10 am to 7pm daily.

Keep track of deadlines and apply as soon as you are able to meet the March 16 FEMA deadline.

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

10 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.

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Arts and Culture

Cal Performances Presents Angélique Kidjo & Yo-Yo Ma in Sarabande Africaine at UC Berkeley Greek Theatre on Aug. 30

On Saturday, Aug. 30, the pair will debut the Bay Area premiere of Sarabande Africaine, joined by pianist Thierry Vaton, percussionist David Donatien, and special guest Sinkane. The program illuminates centuries of musical interplay between African traditions and Western classical forms, using the Baroque sarabande dance, and its African ancestor, the Congolese spirit dance Zarabanda, as a gateway to exploring the deep, interconnected roots of global music.

Published

10 months ago

August 25, 2025

Oakland Post

Angelique Kidjo and Yo-Yo Ma. Wikimedia photos.

By Carla Thomas

On Labor Day weekend two of the world’s most celebrated musicians and cultural ambassadors, Grammy Award–winning vocalist Angélique Kidjo and legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma join forces for an evening of music, history, and cultural dialogue at UC Berkeley’s historic Hearst Greek Theatre.

Both Kidjo and Ma have built careers not only as great performers but as passionate advocates for cultural understanding. Sarabande Africaine is as much a conversation about shared heritage as it is a musical performance, blending genres, geographies, and histories.

“Every day there are moments when all of us can feel we are on the inside of something and also when we feel we are on the outside of something,” said Yo-Yo Ma. “To be able to understand both at the same time and oscillate between the two gives us a larger perspective on the world.”

“If your mind is open, and there is no fear, it’s easier to listen, and to question yourself,” said Kidjo.

The upcoming performance is presented within Cal Performances’ Illuminations: “Exile & Sanctuary” series for the 2025–26 season. The production explores exile as more than just physical displacement, but a disruption in identity and belonging, while sanctuary represents both refuge and the creative space where new connections and communities can take shape.

Cal Performances’ Illuminations bridges performances with UC Berkeley’s academic research, pairing the arts with conversations about urgent global issues.

Kidjo’s continued partnership with Cal Performances includes her 2021–22 artist-in-residence, premiering her music-theater work Yemandja, set in 19th-century West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.

She also participated in the Bias in Our Algorithms and Society panel alongside campus leaders like Jennifer Chayes, and joined the Black Studies Collaboratory for a dialogue on music, diaspora, and the world.

She has since returned to Berkeley for multiple performances, most recently in 2024 at Zellerbach Hall.

Yo-Yo Ma’s history with Cal Performances spans decades, beginning in 1997. One notable project includes the 2018 performance of Bach’s complete cello suites at the Greek Theatre, a testament to his devotion to creating “transformative concert experiences in iconic spaces.”

For tickets and more information, visit calperformances.org.