Disaster Recovery Center To Open In Ventura County
Release Date: February 9, 2005
Release Number: 1577-004
» More Information on California Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides
PASADENA, Calif. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) announced that a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Ventura County on Thursday, February 10, 2005, to serve those who suffered damages during the severe storms of December 27, 2004 - January 11, 2005.
Affected homeowners, renters and business owners should register for assistance first by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585 for those who are speech- or hearing-impaired.
The center will provide people with an opportunity to meet face-to-face with recovery specialists. The DRC location:
Ventura County
Oak View Park and Resource Center
555 Mahoney Ave. (off Highway 33)
Oak View, Calif.
Open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Representatives of state, federal, and voluntary agencies, as well as loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), will be on hand to answer questions and provide recovery information.
OES coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade and war-caused emergencies and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
SBA is the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
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, 17-Feb-2005 13:51:26