FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center to Close, But Help Continues To Be Available 

Release Date: October 1, 2003
Release Number: 1487-18

» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Indianapolis, IN - The Disaster Recovery Center operating out of the Lawrence Government Center in Marion County will close at 6:30 pm on Friday, October 3.

Those affected by the Labor Day floods who still have questions about assistance programs and services or low-interest disaster loans can call the toll-free application line - 1-800-621-FEMA - or visit a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) workshop.

To assist people with their low-interest disaster loan applications, SBA Workshops will be open at the following locations from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice:

"At this stage of the recovery process, the emphasis for assistance is to meet the long-term needs of victims," Patrick R. Ralston, Indiana State Emergency Agency (SEMA) state coordinating officer, said.

Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas J. Costello of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) added that, "Help with questions on federal and state disaster assistance is just a phone call away. Operators at the FEMA toll-free number are available from 7.a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday to help with many of the questions and concerns that were brought to us at recovery centers."

November 4 is the deadline to apply for assistance by calling the FEMA toll-free application number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired.

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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Thursday, 02-Oct-2003 09:39:39