A New Mobile Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Palm Beach County
Release Date: February 18, 2005
Release Number: 1561-254
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Jeanne
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Mobile Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) unit, operated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), is now open in the Village of Wellington in Palm Beach County. It will serve applicants in this area through Saturday, March 5.
Palm Beach County
Wellington Community Center
12165 West Forest Hill Boulevard
Wellington, FL 33414
This DRC will operate Friday, Feb. 18, from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 19, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Beginning Monday, Feb. 21, the hours of operation for all DRCs will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays.
Mobile DRC units provide disaster registrants in the areas they serve with an opportunity to check on the status of their applications and meet with federal and state disaster program representatives, as well as loan officers from the U.S. Small Business Administration. An applicant may visit any one of the 23 fixed-site and nine Mobile DRC units now open.
Individuals and business owners with damages and losses from the recent hurricanes are urged to register for assistance first by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number for speech- or hearing-impaired individuals is 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday (EST). The application deadline is Feb. 28, 2005. After applying, those who have questions may visit a center to meet face-to-face with recovery specialists.
Floridians may also register for assistance online. Those with access to a computer should enter the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov. Look for and click on the words “Register for Disaster Assistance Online”, located in the upper right-hand area in a green box.
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: Monday, 21-Feb-2005 18:11:20