Disaster Recovery Centers Announce New Hours of Operation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – State and federal officials announced a change of hours for the disaster recovery centers, which serve individuals affected by the South Napa Earthquake. Since Oct. 31, nearly 1,100 people have visited the centers:

Napa Earthquake Local Assistance Center
301 1st Street, Napa, CA 94559

Solano County Disaster Recovery Center
1155 Capitol Street, Vallejo, CA 94590

The centers are now closed Sundays due to decreased demand, based on the number of visitors. The centers remain open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays until further notice. In observance of Thanksgiving, the centers will be closed Nov. 27-28.

At the centers, visitors can meet face-to-face with specialists from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

During a visit to a center, visitors may:
• Discuss their individual disaster-related needs
• Submit any additional documentation needed, such as occupancy or ownership verification documents and letters from insurance companies
• Find out the status of an application
• Get help from SBA specialists in completing low-interest disaster loan applications for homeowners, renters and business owners
• Meet with FEMA hazard mitigation specialists to learn about reducing future disaster losses and rebuilding safer and stronger

People who sustained losses or damages due to the earthquake may also apply for disaster assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.  Or applicants may call FEMA at 800-621-3362 (Voice, 711-Relay or VRS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY).

Phone lines remain open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (PT) Sun.-Sat. until further notice. Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA Helpline/Registration. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

People should register with FEMA before going to a disaster recovery center, if possible. For visitors with a disability or functional need, the centers may have amplified telephones, magnifiers and assistive listening devices. American Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request.

If other accommodations are needed during any part of the application process, please ask any FEMA or Cal OES employee for assistance.

People do not need to visit a center to receive disaster assistance. Disaster assistance includes grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses, not covered by insurance or other sources.

Low-interest disaster loans are also available from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

For unmet disaster-related needs, the United Way operates 2-1-1 that covers Napa and Solano Counties. Available 24/7 in 150 languages, the Bay Area 211 helpline connects callers with hundreds of programs to help people find food, housing, healthcare, senior services, childcare, legal aid and more.

For more information on California disaster recovery, go www.fema.gov/disaster/4193.

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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 Cal OES protects lives and property, build capabilities and support our communities for a resilient California. Cal OES achieves its mission by serving the public through effective collaboration in preparing for, protecting against, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating the impacts of all hazards and threats.

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 homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations 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 Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.