FEMA Mitigation Teams to End Community Outreach

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – There are only a few days left to meet with FEMA specialsts at select home building supply stores and learn how to lessen the impact of disaster-related property damage.

The experts are available at the stores to talk to any Arkansas resident interested in building or remodeling their property to better withstand heavy rain, wind, and flooding.

FEMA specialists offer “how-to” information on both retrofitting buildings to make them more resistant to wind damage and ways to elevate utilities against  flood damage. They also provide tips to clean and help prevent mold and mildew

These locations, hours, and end dates were announced:

• Garland County: Lowe’s, 300 Cornerstone Blvd., Hot Springs

  • from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.The teams end their work their on Aug. 5, 2015.

• Sebastian County: Lowe’s 8001 Rogers Ave., Fort Smith

  • from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.The team ends their work COB on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015.

• Miller County: Davis Lumber Company,  Hwy 71, South, Texarkana

  • from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The team ends their work COB on Aug. 1, 2015.

Many of the tips and techniques offered are specifically geared for the do-it-yourselfer and for building contractors. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to access materials such as Braille, large print, please let our representatives know. ASL interpreters are available by appointment by calling 870-451-9241.

FEMA offers a number of free online resources for home and property owners. To get started, go to

www.fema.gov/safer-stronger-protected-homes-communities.

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 SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.