DES MOINES, Ia. – A joint state/federal Disaster Recovery Center opens Wednesday, April 3 to help survivors of the recent severe storms and flooding get help with various disaster assistance programs.
Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and other state and federal agencies will provide information on available services, explain assistance programs and help survivors complete or check the status of their applications at the center.
Center location and hours are:
Disaster Recovery Center Fremont County Emergency Management
2014 290th Ave.
Sidney, IA 51652
Opening April 3: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Regular hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sun. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Iowa homeowners, renters and business owners in Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona and Woodbury counties – which were included in the major disaster declaration for Individual Assistance – may apply for assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses due to severe storms and flooding beginning March 12 and continuing.
Disaster Recovery Centers are staffed by representatives from FEMA, the SBA, and other federal and local agencies. One-on-one assistance includes:
- Help to register for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.
- Help completing paperwork and checking the status of your application.
- Help applying for the SBA’s low-interest disaster loans for businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters.
- Referrals to other state, federal and voluntary organizations offering information about additional disaster assistance.
- Help understanding how to appeal FEMA eligibility decisions.
- Accommodations to meet the needs of the entire community including people with disabilities. Centers are equipped with captioned phones, video remote interpreting and assistive listening devices.
- If you need an accommodation or assistance due to a disability, please notify FEMA staff at the time of registration or anytime during the assistance process.
Applicants for disaster assistance should have the following information on hand:
- Social Security number
- Address of the damaged primary residence
- Description of the damage
- Information about insurance coverage
- A current contact telephone number
- An address where they can receive mail
- Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds
Many of the services available at Disaster Recovery Centers are also available by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, voice/VP/711. Multilingual operators are available. TTY users may call 800-462-7585. Lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.
SBA disaster assistance employees are committed to helping businesses and residents rebuild as quickly as possible. SBA representatives are available to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program and help business owners and residents apply for low-interest disaster recovery loans.
Businesses and residents can visit www.SBA.gov/disaster, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at
800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. TTY users may also call 800-877- 8339.
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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
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 faced discrimination, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362, voice/VP/711. Multilingual operators are available. TTY users may call 800-462-7585.
The U.S. Small Business Administration 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 nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. For more
information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may also call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit SBA at www.SBA.gov/disaster .
HSEMD Mission: To lead, coordinate and support homeland security and emergency management functions in order to establish sustainable communities and ensure economic opportunities for Iowa and its citizens. For more information on the Iowa disaster, visit www.floods2019.iowa.gov