CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is opening Wednesday, June 5, in Wetzel County to help survivors affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides of April 2-6, 2024.
Disaster Recovery Centers serve as one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors seeking one-on-one help. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are at the centers to answer questions. Centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Information for the Wetzel County DRC is below:
| Wetzel County Disaster Recovery Center |
|---|
United Methodist Church 10 Howard Jeffers Dr. New Martinsville, WV 26155 Hours of operation: Wednesday June 5 through Saturday June 8, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
PLEASE NOTE: The Wetzel County DRC site will be open for this week only. Future sites serving the Marshall, Ohio and Wetzel counties will be announced weekly as the locations are established.
Additional centers currently open are:
| Kanawha County Disaster Recovery Center |
|---|
Tyler Mountain Fire Department 5380 Big Tyler Road Charleston, WV 25313 Hours of operation: Monday through Saturday June 8, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
PLEASE NOTE: The Kanawha County DRC site will be open through Saturday, June 8. Future sites serving Kanawha County will be announced weekly as the locations are established.
| Nicholas County Disaster Recovery Center |
|---|
Nicholas County Office of Emergency Management 449 Water Street Summersville, WV 26651 Hours of operation: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
State and FEMA officials continue to work closely with local officials in hard-hit areas to identify suitable sites for additional centers. Survivors can locate the center closest to them, by visiting the FEMA DRC Locator page or downloading the FEMA App to their mobile device to:
- Apply for disaster assistance
- Get directions to the nearest Disaster Recovery Center
- Find shelter locations
- Get weather alerts
- Subscribe to disaster safety tips
Survivors do not have to visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to register with FEMA. If it is not possible to visit a DRC, call 800-621- FEMA (3362). The toll-free telephone line operates from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.
The fastest and easiest way to apply for assistance is by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov
Disaster assistance may include grants to help homeowners and renters pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement, and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.
SBA offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters, and private non-profit organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property.
For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also apply online via SBA’s secure website at http://www.sba.gov/disaster. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4783, and www.facebook.com/FEMA.