Three More Disaster Recovery Centers Open In Northeast
Release Date: September 27, 2003
Release Number: 1490-15
» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Isabel
Raleigh, NC -- Three Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to help residents who suffered losses in Hurricane Isabel will open Sunday and Monday in Edenton, Camden and Hertford.
The centers are to help people who have already registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by phone with filling out their paperwork, getting answers to questions, or adding information to their application. It is a chance to meet face to face with disaster recovery experts, and get personal guidance through the next steps.
"Even people who have no damage may want to come to a DRC," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech of FEMA. "Our specialists there have lots of information on how to make your home or business safe against disasters, having a family disaster plan, flood insurance, and so forth. Also, state and volunteer agencies may be able to provide assistance even if you are not eligible for any federal program."
Specialists at the DRCs include people from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, volunteer agencies, the National Flood Insurance Program, and often crisis counselors.
Those affected by the storm who want to apply for assistance must first apply for aid by telephone. The FEMA toll-free numbers to apply for assistance are 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing- or speech-impaired.
Once opened, the hours at all the centers will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and they will remain open until further notice. The locations and time of initial opening are as follows:
William Gardner Recreation Center
Old National Guard Armory
702 North Broad Street
Edenton, NC 27932
Opens 1 p.m. Sunday, September 28Camden Fire Department
114 Sawyers Creek Road
Camden, NC 27921
Opens 8 a.m. Monday, September 29Albermarle Commission Building
512 South Church Street
Hertford, NC 27944
Opens 1 p.m. Monday, September 29
Anyone throughout the 26-county disaster declared area may visit any DRC for help. The 26 counties are Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Martin, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell and Washington.
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.
For more information about hurricane preparedness and recovery and specific information about Isabel, visit the FEMA website at www.fema.gov.
Last Modified: Monday, 29-Sep-2003 10:33:48