FEMA Mitigation Specialists to Answer Questions at Suwannee Valley Flood Jam

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce and the Lake City/Columbia County Chamber of Commerce are teaming up this week to provide information and advice on cleaning up and rebuilding homes after Tropical Storm Debby.

FEMA mitigation specialists, who can explain disaster-resistant ways to repair and rebuild, will be available to answer questions at the Suwannee Valley Flood Jam on Friday, Aug. 17, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The address is 3076 95^th Drive in Live Oak.

Mitigation specialists offer suggestions on cleaning mold and mildew. They also provide information on flood insurance.

The chambers of commerce are holding a business expo Saturday that will include local businesses, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. They will be available to answer questions on recovery issues.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.floridadisaster.org. On Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/FloridaSERT. To receive Twitter updates: www.twitter.com/FLSERT or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

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.

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 have a speech disability or hearing 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 temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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