Sumner County Recovery Center To Close Saturday 

Release Date: March 13, 2008
Release Number: 1745-032

» More Information on Tennessee Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

Nashville, Tenn . -- The Disaster Recovery Center in Castalian Springs, Sumner County, will cease operations at the close of business Saturday, March 15.

Until then, the center located at the Cragfont Baptist Church, 101 Harsh Lane, will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) jointly run the recovery centers. The Castalian Springs location opened Feb. 9, two days after the major disaster declaration to help Tennesseans recover from the severe storms and tornadoes that hit the state Feb. 5-6.

"The Disaster Recovery Centers begin the process that leads to long-term recovery by individuals," said TEMA Director James Bassham. "At this time, the Disaster Recovery Center has successfully served the storm victims of Sumner County and we can stand it down."

"FEMA's Individual Assistance program has approved more than $238,000 to help Sumner County residents with housing and other disaster-related needs," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech.

She added that, although the center is closing, FEMA's community relations staff will continue reaching out to individuals in Sumner County and FEMA inspectors will continue visits to damaged property. Residents will be able to apply or follow up on their applications by calling (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or TTY (800) 462-7585 or by going online at www.fema.gov.

FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan.  However, an applicant must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

All FEMA assistance is subject to eligibility criteria and may vary from disaster to disaster. SBA eligibility criteria are applied to all applicants. Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan are reviewed for grant assistance in compliance with the limits established by the state.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at 800-323-8603.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Monday, 17-Mar-2008 14:03:49