News and Media: Disaster 4570

BATON ROUGE, La.– The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Rayne will close for good at 5 p.m.  Dec. 23.

It is at:

Southside Community Center

403 Fourth Street

Rayne, LA 70578

The DRC/Appeal Centers will be closed Dec. 24 through 27 in observance of the Christmas holiday. The centers will reopen Dec. 28 at 8 a.m.

The Appeal Centers are at:

Lake Charles Civic Center

900 Lake Shore Drive

Lake Charles, LA 70601

There's no way to be ready for everything, but survival isn't about luck. It's about preparing for difficult situations ahead of time. FEMA specialists are available by phone to discuss your needs as you look ahead to next year’s hurricane season.

While you recover from this year’s damage, you can rebuild stronger, smarter, safer and better, with more resilience. This process is called “mitigation.” There is a wide range of options for protecting your home from flood and wind events through mitigation.

If your home suffered water damage, depending on how high the water rose, you may have lost your utilities, most of your furniture, your washing machine and dryer and refrigerator. Anything that worked on electricity or wasn’t made of plastic may have been soaked and possibly ruined.

FEMA and the state of Louisiana have created an additional service for survivors at Disaster Recovery Centers: Appeal Centers.

Each Appeal Center features an outdoor sitting area where longer conversations can take place. This will allow staff time to explain the appeals process, discuss documentation requirements and provide help with writing and filing an appeal letter if you disagree with FEMA’s findings in your case. No appointment required.

Holidays can bring about stress any year, but hurricanes and COVID-19 add a whole new level of uncertainty and frustration. Typical holiday stresses, like trying to gather loved ones together, are compounded by new challenges such as lack of food and/or housing.

With these problems it is important to check on the emotional wellbeing of yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors. Being aware of the signs of distress can help us choose healthier ways to relieve stress.