Three Alabama EMA/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are opening Monday morning, May 14 in Calhoun, Cullman and Etowah counties.
The DRCs provide a one-stop information center for homeowners and renters who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms and tornadoes from March 19 through March 20, 2018.
“Business owners who had damage and who may be interested in talking to the Small Business Administration about a low-interest business loan also may want to visit one of the DRCs,” said Alabama’s State Coordinating Officer Brett Howard.
Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The DRCs are located at:
Calhoun County
Jacksonville Community Center
501A Alexandria Road SW
Jacksonville, AL 36265
Cullman County
Cullman City Hall
204 Second Avenue NE
Cullman, AL 35055
Etowah County
Rainbow City Annex
4412 Rainbow Dr.
Rainbow City, AL 35906
“The recovery centers serve as a central location for survivors who need one-on-one help,” said Thomas McCool, FEMA federal coordinating officer for the disaster. “State and federal professionals will be available to assist eligible survivors to get help as quickly as possible.”
At the centers, specialists from the State of Alabama, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernment organizations and the local community are on hand to answer survivor questions. Specialists also can provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.
Some of the services provided include:
- Guidance regarding disaster recovery.
- Clarification of any written correspondence received.
- Funding for housing repairs and rental assistance.
- Answers to questions, resolutions to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance.
- Status of applications being processed by FEMA.
Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses. Applicants also may be referred to SBA to apply for a low-interest disaster loan from SBA. These loans may be available to qualified individuals and families to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
Those with storm damage in affected counties also can register for FEMA assistance online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Multilingual operators are available.
Disaster assistance applicants who use TTY should call 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
For more information on disaster recovery, go online to Alabama Emergency Management: ema.alabama.gov and Twitter: @AlabamaEMA. You also can follow FEMA on Twitter: @femaregion4, Instagram: @fema, and Facebook: @FEMA