FEMA and SEMA to Open Disaster Recovery Centers In Three Indiana Counties on Wednesday
Release Date: June 24, 2002
Release Number: 1418-08
» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
Indianapolis, IN -- To help meet the ongoing needs of Indiana disaster victims, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Indiana State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) are opening Disaster Recovery Centers in Marion, Vigo and Gibson counties on Wednesday, June 26. The centers are designed to provide a single location where people can talk face-to-face with recovery, restoration and rebuilding specialists.
Representatives from local, state and federal agencies, and some private-sector organizations will staff the joint FEMA/SEMA Disaster Recovery Centers listed below:
Marion County
[10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday]
Indianapolis State Fair Grounds
Southwest Pavilion (enter Gate 1A)
1202 E. 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205Vigo County
[10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Friday]
South Vigo County High School
3737 So. 7th Street
Terre Haute, IN 47802Gibson County
[10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday]
City Municipal Building
Princeton, IN 47670
"At this time in the recovery process, people are beginning to think about putting their lives back together," Gracia Szczech, Federal Coordinating Officer, said. "Right now people want information about the status of their applications for assistance or help filling out their disaster loan application. They want to know what their options for rebuilding are, so they don't have to face the same disaster problems when storms and flooding happen again."
"The recovery centers are community-oriented and address the ongoing needs of people in areas affected by the storms and flooding that occurred from April 28 thru June 7. People have been forced to make major decisions in their lives, and these centers will serve as resources to help them with those decisions," Patrick R. Ralston, State Coordinating Officer, said.
Individuals visiting a Disaster Recovery Center may:
- Inquire about the status of an application already made by phone;
- Receive assistance in completing U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest loan applications;
- Examine options for repairing or rebuilding in floodplains;
- Learn common-sense measures to reduce the impact of future flooding or disaster losses;
- Receive information about the Individual and Family Grant Program;
- Learn about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
"These centers will be open for a limited time," Ralston said. "We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about mitigation methods to minimize future damage, or to have questions answered about their application."
The first step in receiving state and federal assistance made available under the June 13 Presidential disaster declaration is to apply by calling the toll-free FEMA teleregistration number, 800 621-3362. There is also a special number, TTY 800 462-7585, for the speech or hearing impaired. Both lines will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until further notice.
Individuals who are unable to visit a center and have questions about disaster assistance, rebuilding or preventive measures to avoid future damages may also call FEMA's toll-free number for that information.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 19-Aug-2003 15:20:45