Last Chance to Visit Disaster Recovery Centers in Hillsborough and Manatee Counties

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Tropical Storm Debby survivors have until Saturday to visit disaster recovery centers in Hillsborough and Manatee counties. 

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

The state and FEMA closely monitor visitor traffic at all Florida disaster recovery centers. Traffic to the Tampa and Palmetto centers has decreased, indicating the information needs of survivors in those areas have mostly been met.

People who need face-to-face help in Hillsborough and Manatee counties should visit the centers by Saturday, July 28. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the following locations:

Help is always available by calling FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and assistance is available in most languages. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY can call 800-462-7585.

Helpline staff can direct survivors to any of the remaining recovery centers if face-to-face guidance is needed. The nearest center can also be found by going to www.FEMA.gov/DRCLocator.

If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before going to a center. Registration is available by calling the helpline; going online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov; or by using the FEMA app or going to m.fema.gov with a smartphone or tablet.

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: twwitter.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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