All Louisiana Disaster Recovery Centers to Transition to Shorter Saturday Schedule

BATON ROUGE, La – Beginning May 7, all disaster recovery centers in Louisiana will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays for Louisiana disaster survivors.

Hours of operation at all centers remain 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Only the Monroe (Ouachita Parish) and Oak Grove (West Carroll Parish) centers will remain open noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays until further notice.

Survivors may visit FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or call 800-621-3362 to locate centers near them.

Survivors can register for disaster assistance or ask questions by calling the FEMA helpline at

800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711/VRS can call 800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. They can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Cuando llame al 800 621-3362 (FEMA) marque el 1 y escuche las instrucciones en español.

Call the helpline to:

• Ask questions about FEMA determination letters.
• Learn how to appeal FEMA’s determination. All applicants have the right to appeal.
• Inquire about the status of a registration.
• Provide change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information to avoid processing delays.
• Receive information about FEMA home inspections.
• Get other questions answered about federal disaster assistance.

FEMA advises applicants to have their nine-digit FEMA registration number on hand when they call. They also will be asked to verify their identity if they want access to their information.

All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. To arrange to have an ASL interpreter at the DRC when you visit, call 225-382-1739.

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We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information at gohsep.la.gov, Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at getagameplan.org.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at blog.fema.gov.

FEMA offers a number of free online resources for home and property owners. To get started, go to fema.gov/safer-stronger-protected-homes-communities or fema.gov/louisiana-disaster-mitigation.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (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 SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.