Dauphin County Disaster Recovery Center To Open
Release Date: October 4, 1999
Release Number: 1298-05
» More Information on Pennsylvania Tropical Depression Dennis and Flash Flooding
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Swatara Township to provide information and assistance to victims of heavy rain and flooding caused by Tropical Depression Dennis.
Dauphin County residents became eligible for disaster assistance on Sept. 27 when the county was added to President Clinton's Sept. 22 declaration covering Lycoming, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties.
The DRC at the Swatara Township Municipal Building, 599 Eisenhower Blvd., will be open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8 and 9.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration and other federal, state, local and voluntary agencies will be represented at the center.
Residents who have suffered losses to homes, personal property or businesses because of Tropical Depression Dennis should register for federal disaster assistance by telephone before going to the DRC for help. FEMA's toll-free number - 1-800-462-9029 - is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The number for speech- or hearing-impaired applicants is 1-800-462-7585 (TTY).
"The Disaster Recovery Center offers people the opportunity to talk face-to-face with a disaster recovery expert and to find out what kind of disaster assistance is available for them," said Bob Churchman, the state coordinating officer and acting director of PEMA. "If you've already registered for assistance by telephone, you can check on the status of your application at the Center."
Programs available to eligible applicants include:
Disaster Housing Assistance, administered by FEMA, may be available to individuals and families whose homes were made uninhabitable by Tropical Depression Dennis. The program provides funding for temporary accommodations, rental assistance, or limited home repairs needed to make a property safe, secure and habitable.
Low-interest loans may be available to homeowners, renters or business owners for the repair, replacement or rebuilding of disaster-damaged property.
Grants may be available to individuals and families who have serious immediate needs resulting from the disaster that cannot be met by other sources.
Technical advice will be available on common-sense strategies homeowners can use to minimize losses from future disasters.
Additional state services in the DRC include disaster unemployment assistance, consumer protection, health and welfare assistance, well-water testing, driver's license replacement, information on vehicle registration and title replacement, senior citizen services, state income, sales and use tax questions, and agriculture support.
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Dec-2003 09:26:46