Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Orleans and Plaquemines Parishes

BATON ROUGE, La. —  Five State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers have opened in Orleans and Plaquemines parishes to assist homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage to their home or personal property as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

Survivors can visit any of the Orleans Parish centers now open in four convenient locations:

Main Library

219 Loyola Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70112

Saturday Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.

Fridays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed on Sundays

For the following centers, Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday to Thursday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.  Closed on Fridays and Sundays.

Algiers Branch

3014 Holiday Dr.

New Orleans, LA 70131

East NOLA Branch

5641 Read Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70127

Robert E. Smith Branch

6301 Canal Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70124

In Plaquemines Parish, the latest recovery center is located at:

            111 Bethlehem Ln.

            Braithwaite, LA 70040

Saturday hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday forward:  8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.

This is the third recovery center operating in Plaquemines Parish. Two others remain open in Belle Chase and Port Sulphur.

This brings to 25 the number of centers operating in 16 parishes. More recovery centers will open as sites are identified and approved. For a list of open centers in Louisiana go online to www.fema.gov/disaster/4080.

Applying for disaster assistance is quick and simple. Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY)    1-800-462-7585.  If you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

SBA offers federal low-interest disaster loans to residents and businesses. After registering with FEMA, visit any Disaster Recovery Center where SBA representatives will answer questions, explain the application process and help each resident or business owner apply to SBA. For SBA information or to apply online, visit www.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 1-800-877-8339.

The major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac now makes available federal assistance to eligible survivors in 21 parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington and West Feliciana.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.