Charlotte County Disaster Recovery Center Closing As Recovery Progresses
Release Date: May 4, 2005
Release Number: 1561-322
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- As recovery progresses in the wake of the unprecedented 2004 hurricane season, and the need for face-to-face disaster assistance declines, more Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are closing. As a result of declining requests for assistance, the DRC located at the Dion Building in Port Charlotte will close permanently at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Friday, May 13.
“The DRC closings are a clear indication that Floridians are moving forward in their recovery, getting on with their lives, and no longer need a DRC like they used to” said Bill Carwile, federal coordinating officer for U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “We have no higher priority than helping Floridians get back to a more normal way of life for themselves and their families.”
Since August 2004, centers set up by FEMA and Florida’s State Emergency Response Team (SERT), have provided vitally needed program and service information to more than 588,000 Floridians who visited one of the 150 DRCs located around the hardest hit areas of the state.
Although the deadline to apply for disaster aid has passed, officials encourage storm victims who have questions about the various assistance programs to visit the DRC before it closes. Applicants also may visit the DRC to check on the status of their applications. Program specialists will continue to be available weekdays now through May 13 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
To date, the Dion Building DRC, at 4356 Tamiami Trail, has assisted more than 8,429 storm victims since opening on Nov. 15 of last year.
Applicants who still have questions about disaster assistance or want to check the status of their applications, may call the FEMA Helpline, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday. The hearing or speech-impaired should call TTY 1-800-462-7585.
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, 05-May-2005 09:41:31