Three Disaster Recovery Centers Close In Harris County
Release Date: October 1, 2008
Release Number: 1791-068
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- Three of the motor coaches used as FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers that began operating in Harris County within a week of Hurricane Ike are leaving the county.
More than 5,300 residents who sought face-to-face assistance visited the centers parked in the lots outside three Home Depot stores. The centers, which will close at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, are located at:
Home Depot
10707 North Freeway (I-45)
Houston, TX 77037
Home Depot
6810 Gulf Freeway (I-45)
Houston, TX 77087
Home Depot
11500 Chimney Rock
Houston, TX 77035
The seven remaining centers in Harris County are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
Our Lady of Lavang Catholic Church
12320 Old Foltin Road
Houston, TX 77086
Rex Meador Park
2100 N. Meyer Road
Seabrook, TX 77586
Cedar Bayou Community Center
7711 Highway 146
Baytown, TX 77521
301 West Fairmont Parkway
Across from City Hall
Laporte, TX 77571
San Jacinto Mall
6109 Garth Road
Baytown, TX 77521
African-American Chamber of Commerce
6112 Wheatley St.
Houston 77091
Building 1383
14567 Sneider St
Ellington Joint Reserve Base
Residents are encouraged to register with FEMA before visiting a center. There are two ways to register:
log on to www.fema.gov or call FEMA's toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Residents should register only once; duplicate registrations may cause delays in the delivery of assistance.
At the center, visitors can:
- Receive information about different types of state and federal disaster assistance.
- Get help completing low-interest loan applications from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and business owners.
- Inquire about the status of applications for federal assistance.
- Receive referrals to the American Red Cross and other voluntary organizations to help with immediate unmet needs.
- Learn cost-effective measures to reduce the impact of future disaster losses.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA also are available for homeowners, renters and business owners for losses not covered by insurance or other sources.
Residents should carry with them their identification, social security number, insurance information, proof of address and contact numbers when they visit the Disaster Recovery Center to expedite the process.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at (800) 323-8603.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 01-Oct-2008 16:08:57