Central California

Merced County, California

DR-4683 / DR-4699 Winter Storms & Flooding

$23M recovered across 70+ project worksheets

Recovered: $23M
Project worksheets: 70+
De-obligations: 0
Emergency cost-share: 100%

The challenge

Back-to-back atmospheric rivers and winter storms (DR-4683 and DR-4699) overwhelmed Merced County, depositing sediment, flooding neighborhoods, and damaging roads, levees, and public facilities across a large rural and agricultural service area.

County staff faced more than 70 distinct sites of damage spanning multiple FEMA Public Assistance categories, with tight Grants Portal deadlines, EHP review requirements, and the constant risk that poorly documented emergency work would be denied or de-obligated.

Our approach

Rapid, category-by-category formulation

We inventoried every damaged site and organized it into clean, defensible projects across Categories A–G — debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent repairs to roads, bridges, and facilities.

Force account labor, equipment, and contracted costs were captured against each project from day one so nothing eligible was left on the table.

EHP and compliance coordination

We coordinated environmental and historic preservation review early to keep permanent work projects moving without clearance delays, and ensured procurement and documentation met 2 CFR 200 standards throughout.

Cost-share maximization

Emergency work was structured to capture the full available cost-share, and Section 406 mitigation opportunities were built into permanent repairs to reduce future risk.