LAKE MARY, Fla. – The State of Florida and FEMA are operating Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers in Sarasota County to provide one-on-one help to people affected by Hurricane Idalia. The center schedule is:
- St. Armands Public Parking, 58 Fillmore Dr., Sarasota, FL
- Friday, 9/22, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 9/23 and Sunday, 9/24, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave., South Venice, FL
- Monday, 9/25, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesday, 9/26 and Wednesday, 9/27, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- North Port Library, 13800 Tamami Tr., North Port, FL
- Thursday 9/28, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, 9/29 and Saturday, 9/30, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
No appointment is necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Residents are welcome to visit any open DRC, you don’t have to reside in that county.
Disaster Recovery Centers provide disaster survivors with information from Florida state agencies, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Survivors can get help applying for federal assistance, learn about the types of assistance available, learn about the appeals process and get updates on applications.
In addition to visiting a center, people can apply by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app or calling 800-621-3362, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET every day. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. The deadline to apply with FEMA is Oct. 30, 2023.
Disaster Recovery Centers are accessible to people with disabilities. They have assistive technology equipment that allows disaster survivors to interact with staff. Video Remote Interpreting is available and in-person sign language is available by request. The centers also have accessible parking, ramps and restrooms.
FEMA Individual Assistance can help with temporary lodging expenses, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs.
For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.
For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Idalia, visit floridadisaster.org/updates/ and fema.gov/disaster/4734. Follow FEMA on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/femaregion4 and at facebook.com/fema.