Disaster Officials Move Quickly to Open Disaster Recovery Centers
Release Date: October 27, 2005
Release Number: 1609-004
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Wilma
ORLANDO, Fla -- To help meet the ongoing needs of those who sustained damage from Hurricane Wilma, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Florida State Emergency Response Team will open Disaster Recovery Centers on Thursday, Oct. 27.
Disaster Recovery Centers offer information. For distribution sites where water, ice, meals, and other supplies are available, please contact county emergency management officials for locations and hours.
The centers provide a single location where people are able to talk face-to-face with disaster recovery specialists. All centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.
Current Disaster Recovery Center locations are:
Monroe County
Key West City Hall
604 Simonton St.
Key West, FL 33040
Monroe County
San Pablo Church
550 122nd St. Ocean
Marathon, FL 33050
Monroe County
San Pedro Catholic Church
89500 Overseas Highway
Plantation Key, FL 33070
Collier County
Everglades City Community Center
201 Buckner Ave.
Everglades City, FL 34139
Lee County
Bonita Springs Community Center
10520 Reynolds St.
Bonita Springs, FL 34135
Representatives from local, state and federal agencies, and voluntary organizations, will staff the Disaster Recovery Centers. 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 or business owners.
- Inquire about the status of their application for federal assistance.
- Receive referrals to 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.
To apply for federal disaster assistance, residents must first register with FEMA. 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 for those with speech or hearing impairment. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, minor home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also are available for residential and business losses not covered by insurance.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida's state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT's mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
Last Modified: Thursday, 27-Oct-2005 19:26:54