FEMA Available in Diamond to Answer Questions

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency and village officials in Diamond have announced that residents affected by the Nov. 17 tornadoes can meet with disaster assistance specialists this week beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Diamond Village Hall.

Survivors can get questions answered about available federal disaster assistance programs, help with registration for assistance, and learn about other programs available from the Small Business Administration, state and local agencies and voluntary organizations. Residents must apply with FEMA even if they have already provided damage information to local officials, other agencies or organizations.

FEMA and SBA specialists are located at:                                                            

Diamond Village Hall

1750 Main Street

Diamond, IL 60416

Regular hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The center will close Saturday, Dec. 13.

Individuals can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST seven days a week until further notice.

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).

Media Contact: Don Jacks, 304-542-6258

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