AUSTIN, Texas – A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now open in Hidalgo County for homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 4 to June 19.

Specialists from the State of Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernmental organizations and the local community are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors. Services are provided in English and Spanish.

The recovery center serves survivors from any of the 30 counties designated for Individual Assistance who need one-on-one help. State and federal professionals will be available to assist eligible survivors get help as quickly as possible.

Location and hours of operation

Hidalgo County Elections Annex Building
North Side Election Warehouse
317 North Closner Blvd.
Edinburg, TX 78541
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

People who had storm damage can register for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Visiting with a recovery specialist is not a requirement for survivors who want disaster assistance, but the centers are an excellent way for people to get answers to their questions about disaster aid and help applying for it. Some of the services may include:

  • Guidance regarding disaster recovery
  • Clarification of any written correspondence received
  • Housing Assistance and Rental Resources information
  • Answers to questions, resolutions to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance
  • Status of applications being processed by FEMA

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Low-interest disaster loans from SBA may be available to cover losses not fully

compensated by insurance or other resources and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Eligible survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

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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.

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.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

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Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Hidalgo County

TRENTON, N.J. — Replacing lost or damaged records is an important step in recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

While it can seem like a challenging task, the good news is that many vital records are relatively easy to replace. Check the list below to find out where to obtain official copies of your lost or damaged documents.

Insurance: Contact your insurance agent for copies of your policies, recent billing records and cash-value statements.

Financial Records: Contact your bank, credit union, credit card company, brokerage firm and credit bureau for copies of account statements, loan applications, credit reports and other records.

Social Security Cards: Find the location of the nearest Social Security Administration office by calling 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) or check online at www.SocialSecurity.gov.  To obtain a replacement Social Security card, you will need to show proof of identity such as a driver’s license, state-issued identification card or U.S. passport.

Birth, Death or Marriage Certificates: Call the New Jersey Vital Records bureau at 866-649-8726 (toll-free) or 609-292-4087. Information on how to order replacement records is also available online at state.nj.us/health/vital/gen.shtml or by mail at:

State of New Jersey

Vital Records Bureau

P.O. Box 370

Trenton, NJ 08625-0370.

Divorce Decrees: Call the Superior Court of New Jersey Records Center at 609-421-6100.

Savings Bonds: If your savings bonds have been lost, visit treasurydirect.gov to download PDF Form 1048. Mail the completed form to:

Bureau of the Public Debt

P.O. Box 7012

Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012.

Federal Tax Returns: Visit irs.gov for information on obtaining expedited copies of past tax returns and extended tax deadlines for business owners impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

State Tax Returns: To order copies of your state tax returns, call the New Jersey Division of Taxation at 609-292-6400 or visit state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/phonenos.shtml

Motor Vehicle Titles:  Visit any New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission agency in the state to obtain duplicates of your driver’s license, motor vehicle title or registration.  You will need several proofs of identification. Call the DMV toll-free in New Jersey at 888-486-3339 (TTY 609-292-5120) for detailed instructions or visit the agency online at nj.gov/mvc/ for further information.

Green Cards: Contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services online at uscis.gov to fill out an online application to replace your permanent resident card or download a mail-in form

Voter Registration: Contact your county Superintendent of Elections to replace your voter registration card.

Damaged Money:  Contact the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing online at  moneyfactory.gov/damagedcurrencyclaim.html  or call them at (866) 575-2361 (toll-free) or (202) 874-2141 for information on replacing  your hurricane-damaged currency.

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 FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Replacing Lost Or Damaged Records Part Of New Jersey Recovery