Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Hillsborough County to Help Tropical Storm Debby Survivors 

Release Date: July 19, 2012
Release Number: 4068-021b

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A disaster recovery center is open in Hillsborough County to help those whose homes or businesses were affected by Tropical Storm Debby. The center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U. S. Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the center to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid.

The disaster recovery center is located at the following address:

University Area Community Development Center

14013 N. 22nd St.

Tampa, FL 33613

If possible, before going to a disaster recovery center, people with storm or flooding losses should register with FEMA. There are three ways to apply:

• By calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Help is available in most languages, and lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.
• Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
• By tablet or smartphone using the FEMA app or m.fema.gov.

Anyone who sustained damage in any of the 22 Florida counties designated for federal individual disaster assistance can visit any disaster recovery center.

Federal disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property loss and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are also available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. Survivors and businesses may apply online at SBA’s secure website https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; or obtain information on SBA disaster loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing) or online at www.sba.gov.

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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Last Modified: Thursday, 19-Jul-2012 15:17:17