FEMA Opens Disaster Recovery Center In King County
Release Date: January 31, 2009
Release Number: 1817-002
» More Information on Washington Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding
SEATTLE, Wash. -- A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) opens in King County on Sunday, Feb. 1 to provide face-to-face assistance to people suffering damages from the Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding from Jan. 6 to Jan. 16. Residents of King, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum counties were designated for federal individual assistance in the Presidential disaster declaration of Jan. 30, 2009, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials said.
FEMA and the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD) announced the following DRC location and hours:
Auburn SuperMall
(Inside mall - opposite Sam's Club)
1101 Supermall Way, Suite 1157, Auburn, WA 98001
Opens Sunday, Feb. 1
Hours of Operation: Sunday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Applicants can register for FEMA assistance by calling, toll-free, 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), TTY 1-800-462-7585, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, or register online at www.disasterassistance.gov. Registration is available until March 31, 2009.
"You don't have to visit a DRC to receive assistance," said Federal Coordinating Officer Willie Nunn. "But it's best to register with FEMA before visiting the DRC."
Individual assistance is available for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofits. FEMA individual assistance includes housing assistance grants, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and property grants under the federal/state "Other Needs Assistance" program.
Visitors to the DRC will find information on:
- FEMA and State disaster assistance programs
- SBA low-interest disaster loans and how to complete the loan application
- Smart building techniques to reduce damage from future floods, and
- Flood insurance
"Remember, the only way to begin the recovery assistance process is to call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA)," said State Coordinating Officer Kurt Hardin. "People may have called their local emergency managers, their insurance agents or 2-1-1 nonprofit agencies, but these calls will not register them for federal-state aid."
When applicants register for FEMA assistance they will be asked: location of damaged property, their Social Security number, a phone number where they can be contacted, a general description of the damages, and basic financial information to determine the likelihood of supporting an SBA low-interest disaster loan. The telephone interview takes approximately 20 minutes. People should only provide this personal information if they call the center, not if someone calls them claiming to be from FEMA.
"I urge all King County residents who were affected by the January storms and flooding to register with FEMA for help," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "These services are available to help people continue the recovery process."
FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
Last Modified: Monday, 02-Feb-2009 10:54:13