Disaster Recovery Centers Shifting To Loan Assistance Centers Assistance Still Available
Release Date: August 15, 2006
Release Number: 1656-010
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The joint Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will close at the end of business at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 17, and transition into U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Assistance Centers, which will open on Friday, August 18, to continue to provide assistance to disaster victims.
“The Disaster Loan Assistance Centers will continue to ensure that every qualified family and business receives the help they need to recover from this disaster,” said Nancy Dragani, State Coordinating Officer and Executive Director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.
The Disaster Loan Assistance Centers will be open Monday through Friday until further notice. The hours of operation, will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all centers except the Eastlake City Hall Building, which will close at 4:30 p.m. The centers are located at:
Northwest Ambulance District
1480 S. Broadway (State Route 534)
Geneva, OH 44041
Lakeland Community College East
201 Water Tower Drive
Madison, OH 44057
First Congregational United Church of Christ
22 Liberty Street
Painesville, OH 44077
Mentor Senior Center (West Entrance)
6313 Center Street
Mentor, OH 44060
Eastlake City Hall Building
35150 Lake Shore Boulevard
Eastlake, OH 44077
(Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon. thru Fri.)
SBA customer service representatives will be available to answer questions and help applicants to complete their low-interest disaster loan applications. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recovery specialist will also be on site to answer FEMA-related questions.
“Help is also just a toll-free phone call away,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer Jesse Munoz, “Operators are available at the FEMA Helpline 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech and hearing impaired, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to answer any specific questions about your application.”
People may also register for assistance online at their convenience at www.fema.gov. The deadline to apply is September 30.
We urge applicants to send in their SBA loan application, even if they do not want a loan. Those who do not return their SBA applications may be missing out on a referral to FEMA for additional help for individuals in the form of grants.
More than 1,100 Ohio residents have visited one of the centers, which opened on Aug. 5. These temporary centers were established to provide detailed program information to those who have already applied for assistance. In addition to FEMA Human Services personnel and SBA customer services representatives, disaster recovery specialists staffed the centers to answer questions and provide information on recovery, restoration and rebuilding. The Ohio Department of Insurance and the Ohio EMA staff have also supported the DRCs.
Anyone with questions concerning SBA disaster loan applications can call the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing-impaired), Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. EDT. Applications may be obtained, completed and returned to any Disaster Loan Assistance Center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, National Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76155. Business loan applications can also be downloaded from the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster.
The deadline for physical damage applications is Oct. 2, 2006; the deadline for economic injury applications is May 2, 2007.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Aug-2006 14:17:20