(Information as of Jan. 27, 2026; subject to change)
When disaster strikes, USC is here to support faculty and staff. The following resources may be activated to support employees who are adversely affected by major emergencies such as natural disasters. In addition to general resources, this page also provides information for those impacted by specific events, e.g., the 2025 LA wildfires.
Table of Contents
USC benefits, services, and other support
Information and benefits that may be available to employees when an emergency is activated:
- USC Emergency Information page: Offers information and resources for live emergencies.
- Major Disaster Leave Sharing Plan: If activated during an emergency, allows faculty and staff to voluntarily donate their accrued vacation or paid time off to a pool of hours that employees affected by a disaster can utilize.
- Vacation cashout: If activated during an emergency, affected employees may cash out a certain number of accrued vacation days, which will be available in their next paycheck.
- Back-up dependent care: All benefits-eligible employees (non-union) qualify for 10 back-up care days per calendar year.
- Retirement hardship withdrawals: USC retirement plans (401(k) and 403(b)) allow a hardship withdrawal for FEMA disasters to cover expenses and losses (including loss of income).
LA County assistance
Resources offered by LA County to assist during emergencies:
- LA County Emergency page: Offers county-wide information for live emergencies.
- Alert LA County : Sign up to receive emergency alerts via the Genasys notification platform.
2025 LA wildfires recovery response
The following resources remain available to those who are still affected by the 2025 LA wildfires, to support the continued recovery and rebuilding efforts:
- CA.gov/LAfires page: The State’s LA wildfires site offers a dashboard to track the recovery efforts and a services finder to assist affected individuals find recovery resources such as unemployment benefits, state tax relief, and more.
- LA Disaster Relief Navigator: This online tool is designed to help affected residents find resources and assistance. Simply complete a brief questionnaire, and the tool will direct you to relevant local, state, and federal programs.