Crisis Counseling Available to Massac, Tazewell County Tornado Survivors

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – While Massac and Tazewell county residents are working to recover following the Nov. 17 tornadoes, many of them also need to recover emotionally.

Free help is available for tornado survivors who feel mentally overwhelmed, exhausted or unable to cope.

The Illinois Strong Crisis Counselor Program is a FEMA funded initiative that provides emotional support, recovery education, recovery resource information and coping tips for Massac and Tazewell county survivors.

Services provided in this partnership include a toll-free hotline telephone number during these critical times.

Survivors in Massac and Tazewell counties who are emotionally affected shouldn’t hesitate to call crisis counseling representatives at 800-985-5990 or TTY 800-846-8517 for help. The number operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice.

Nov. 17 tornado survivors may overlook the signs of emotional stress while they work to rebuild their lives. While individuals respond to stress in different ways, emotional distress following disasters can make the recovery process more difficult.

For the latest information on Illinois’ recovery from the Nov. 17 storms, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4157. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, facebook.com/fema and youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding 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 uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

FEMA News Desk: 217-522-2080

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