SBA to Open Disaster Loan Center in San Marcos; Martindale DRC to Close

AUSTIN, Texas—The State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at the Hays County Government Center, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666, will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The Caldwell County DRC, located at the Allen Bates River Park at the intersection of FM 1979 and Fannin Street, Martindale, TX 78617, will close at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14.

The San Marcos DRC at the Hays County Government Center will remain open until 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 15. The DLOC will open for business, at the same address, Tuesday, Jan. 19. DLOC hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday–Friday. Representatives from the SBA will be available at the DLOC to meet individually with residents and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding from Oct. 22 to Oct. 31. They will answer their questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, help them complete their applications and close their approved disaster loans.

DRCs, operated by the State of Texas and the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency (FEMA) and supported by other agencies, remain open until the needs of area residents have been met. The centers serve as a one-stop shop for information and guidance about disaster assistance.

Visiting a DRC is not required to register for FEMA assistance. Those with questions regarding the application process, or who decide to register for assistance after a DRC closes, can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362. (TTY users should call 800-462-7585.) The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Texas homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are encouraged by recovery officials to “stay in touch.” If survivors change their address or phone numbers they should update that information with FEMA. Missing or erroneous information could result in delays getting a home inspection or in receiving assistance.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4245, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.