Hardee and Volusia County DRCs Begin Operations
Release Date: October 1, 2004
Release Number: 1539-162
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Jeanne
ORLANDO, Fla -- State and federal officials announce the opening of two more Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs), one in Hardee County and one in Volusia County, for victims of Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne. A third center, in Sarasota County, will resume activities. There are now 35 centers operating. The new centers opened on Friday, October 1.
Hardee County
Pioneer Park DRC
2800 US Hwy 17 South
Zolfo Springs, Fla.
Volusia County
Victoria Square Shopping Center DRC
1700 South Woodland Avenue
DeLand, Fla.
Sarasota County
George Mullen Building
4956 City Center Building
North Port, Fla.
Victims of the hurricanes are urged to register for assistance first by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585 for those who are speech or hearing-impaired. After applying, those who have questions may visit a center to meet face-to-face with recovery specialists.
All centers are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. [Lists of DRCs now operating are on pages 2 and 3] An applicant may visit any one of the 35 DRCs. Example: if an applicant from Charlotte County goes to Columbia County, he or she can be assisted at the Old K-Mart Building DRC.
Representatives of state, federal, and voluntary agencies, as well as loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration, will be on hand to answer questions and provide recovery information.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Helpline is experiencing a record number of calls. Because of this high volume, residents with only minimal losses, owners of commercial properties, and those who are able to start the recovery process are now urged to wait a few days before calling the Helpline. The Helpline is the option on the FEMA 800 number for people who have already registered to find the status of their application and get answers to various questions.
The State Emergency Response Team is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management 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 impact. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.
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 the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
The 35 DRCs now operating:
Panhandle Operations
(Hurricane Ivan)
Knology Building DRC
13200 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, Fla.
(Bay County)
Parker City Hall DRC
1001 West Park Street
Parker, Fla.
(Bay County)
Agricultural Building DRC
6001A Industrial Boulevard
Century, Fla.
(Escambia County)
Spanish Trail Fairgrounds DRC
205 Stilwell Boulevard
Crestview, Fla.
(Okaloosa County)
St. Anne Family Life Center DRC
100 Daniel Drive
Gulf Breeze, Fla.
(Santa Rosa County)
Santa Rosa Co. Auditorium. DRC
6051 Old Bagdad Highway
Milton, Fla.
(Santa Rosa County)
Defuniak Springs Community Center DRC
361 North 10th Street
Defuniak Springs, Fla.
(Walton County)
Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne DRCs, by county, now operating: http://fema.gov/press/2004/hurricane_drc.shtm
Last Modified: Wednesday, 06-Oct-2004 16:45:07