Disaster Recovery Center To Open In Woodfin 

Release Date: September 13, 2004
Release Number: 1546-006

» More Information on North Carolina Tropical Storm Frances

ASHEVILLE, NC - A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Buncombe County on Friday, September 17, to speed assistance to residents affected by Tropical Storm Frances, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety's (CCPS) Division of Emergency Management (NCEM).

The center will be located:

Woodfin Volunteer Fire Department
20 New Street
Woodfin, North Carolina 28804

Hours of operations: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, until further notice.

Disaster Recovery Centers are designed to provide detailed program information to those who have already applied for assistance under President Bush's September 10 disaster declaration. State, federal and volunteer agencies will be represented, including loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Low-interest loans from the SBA are available to cover residential and business disaster losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Before coming to the DRC, applicants are encouraged to apply by using the FEMA toll-free registration number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). For people who are speech or hearing-impaired, the TTY number is 1-800-462-7585. Recovery specialists take applications 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 14-Sep-2004 09:49:04