Disaster Recovery Centers To Open In Pontiac And Watseka 

Release Date: March 13, 2008
Release Number: 1747-003a

» More Information on Illinois Severe Storms and Flooding

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announce the opening of Disaster Recovery Centers in Livingston and Iroquois counties tomorrow, Friday, March 14.

The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will be open daily from 9 a. m. to 7 p. m. (CST) until March 22 when the schedule changes to Mondays through Saturdays until further notice.

The following DRCs will open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 14:

Iroquois County DRC
Regional Health Center
200 Laird Lane.
Watseka, IL

Livingston County DRC
City Council Chambers
115 W. Howard Street
Pontiac, IL

The DRC provides residents affected by the disaster with the opportunity to meet with representatives of state, federal, and voluntary agencies and ask questions about the recovery process. Residents affected by the severe storms and flooding that began on Jan. 7 who plan to stop by the DRC are urged to register for assistance before their visit.

FEMA Mitigation specialists will also be on hand at the DRCs to provide information and answer questions about repairing and rebuilding. Mitigation personnel can provide suggestion for cost-effective suggestions rebuilding that can reduce property damage in the event of future disasters.

Residents can register for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 or visiting www.fema.gov on line. The registration line is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CST) until further notice.

Officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are at all Disaster Recovery Centers to meet individually with each resident or business owner to answer questions about the SBA disaster loan program, help them complete their disaster loan application and accept their completed applications. Anyone not able to visit a center should call 1-800-659-2955 or visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.

FEMA coordinates the Federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terrorism.

Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Mar-2008 17:02:01