New Disaster Recovery Center Opens Friday in Rockaway Park for Hurricane Sandy Survivors

NEW YORK – The State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a new Disaster Recovery Center in Rockaway Park at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 11, to provide in-person help for Hurricane Sandy survivors. 

The center will be located at the Sands Point Professional Building, 230 Beach 102^nd St., Rockaway Park, Queens, 11694.

Operational hours for the Disaster Recovery Center are:

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

The center is opening as part of FEMA and the state’s ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of survivors who may visit the center to obtain useful FEMA information and apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

More than two months after Hurricane Sandy struck, 22 recovery centers, including the one in Rockaway Park, are open throughout New York. In total, recovery centers have hosted more than 122,000 survivors.

To find the nearest recovery center, the following options are available: Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address. Or go to the Disaster Recovery Center locator at www.FEMA.gov/disaster-recovery-centers.

Individuals also can find a recovery center – and register for FEMA help – online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet by going to m.fema.gov or by downloading the FEMA app. They may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.

People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Hurricane Sandy survivors in New York have until Jan. 28, 2013 to register for federal disaster assistance, which can include money for rent, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.