Monroe, Nicholas DRCs close; Help still available

Charleston, W.Va. — Two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will close permanently at 6 p.m., Saturday, August 6, 2016, one in Monroe County at the Alderson Senior Center, and the other in Nicholas County at the Birch River Elementary school.

But as a survivor of the June storms and floods, you can still get the help you need with just a phone call.

Many of the services available at the DRCs are also available on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helpline. The helpline operates from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. By calling 800-621-3362 (voice 711 or video relay services) or   800-462-7585 for TTY users, you can use the helpline to:

• Register with FEMA.

• Provide a change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information.

• Receive information about FEMA home inspections.

• Get other questions answered about federal disaster assistance.

• Ask questions about a letter from FEMA.

• Learn how to appeal a FEMA decision.All applicants may appeal.

You can also register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or find an open DRC at www.fema.gov/drc.

If you want to discuss your application, you should have your nine-digit FEMA registration number and zip code.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster.  TTY users may call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. The deadline to file an SBA physical disaster loan application is Aug. 24.  SBA Disaster low-interest loans are available to businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters for their recovery needs.

You can still visit the other DRCs.  Representatives from FEMA, various state agencies and the U.S. Small Business Administration are at the centers to answer your disaster assistance or low-interest loan questions:

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/femaregion3, twitter.com/FEMA and fema.gov/blog.