Five Disaster Recovery Centers to Wrap Up Operations 

Release Date: March 21, 2005
Release Number: 1539-410

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- The number of 2004 hurricane victims still in need of assistance being offered at a federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is rapidly declining, according to the U.S. Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

During the past six months, federal and state disaster recovery officials have provided face-to-face assistance to storm victims at 73 fixed-site DRCs and 76 mobile DRC locations throughout Florida. Many DRCs have closed as individuals continue through the recovery process and their needs are being met.

To date, more than 575,000 Floridians have been helped by visiting the FEMA/State DRCs.

FEMA assesses the need to continue a DRC location based on the number of daily visitors and the services being sought. Due to the decline in numbers of individuals seeking assistance through a DRC, FEMA and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) announced today the permanent closing of five fixed-site locations at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 30.

The five DRCs locations scheduled for closing are:

Small Business Administration loan officers remain at all DRCs currently open and at the SBA Disaster Outreach Centers to assist homeowners, renters and businesses with any questions they may have regarding the low-interest loan program. Anyone with questions about SBA Disaster Assistance can also call 1-800-359-2227 or visit the Web site at http://www.sba.gov/disaster .

Thus far, the number of Floridians assisted at each of the closing DRCs by their city location, are: Kissimmee, 32,374; Fort Pierce, 7,299; Punta Gorda, 6,043; Century, 11,927; and Milton, 16,701.

Residents living in areas that were serviced by the soon-to-be-closed DRCs may continue to have their questions answered by calling the FEMA Helpline, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The hearing or speech impaired should call TTY 1-800-462-7585.

After March 30, there will be nine fixed-site and two mobile DRCs continuing to operate throughout Florida. The cities in which the fixed-site DRCs are located are Lake Wales, Orlando, Palm Bay, Pensacola, Port Charlotte, Port Saint Lucie, South Daytona, Tequesta and Vero Beach. Their hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Although the deadline to apply for disaster aid has passed, the remaining DRCs are open to assist applicants with a better understanding of the various state and federal assistance programs that are available. Applicants also may visit a DRC to check on the status of their application.

FEMA and state disaster recovery officials urge everyone with questions regarding their applications to contact the FEMA Helpline or visit one of the remaining DRCs.

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.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Thursday, 24-Mar-2005 14:05:46