Baton Rouge, La. — Survivors from Ouachita, Tangipahoa and Beauregard parishes who are rebuilding after the March severe storms and floods can receive a free consultation with hazard mitigation advisers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The free mitigation stations will be open on a walk-in basis at Lowe’s in Monroe, Ouachita Parish; Lowe’s in Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish; and Stine Lumber-Building in DeRidder, Beauregard Parish, starting Friday, April 8, 2016.

The advisers can answer questions about protecting homes from future disaster-related damage, as well as offer tips and techniques to build hazard-resistant homes. Most of the information and the free publications provided are geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Recovery topics to be covered include roof repair, rebuilding flooded homes, and mold and mildew cleanup and prevention. The store locations are as follows:

Ouachita Parish        

Lowe’s Lumber-Building
4750 Frontage Road
Monroe, LA 71202

Tangipahoa Parish    

Lowe’s
3007 Highway 190 West
Hammond, LA 70401

Beauregard Parish

Stine Lumber
1335 N Pine St.
DeRidder, LA

The mitigation stations will be open Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  They will be closed on Sunday. The stations will be open thereafter Monday, April 11, through Saturday, April 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4263 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit FEMA’s blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

###

We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov.
GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App.  It is free for basic service.  You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

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.

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.  Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (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 Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800)877-8339.

###