Disaster Recovery Center Opens in San Jacinto County

AUSTIN, Texas – A FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center is open in San Jacinto County to provide face-to-face assistance to those who suffered damage from Hurricane Ike. The center is located at:

San Jacinto County
County Precinct 3 Building
35 Lilley Yeager Loop North
Cleveland, TX 77327

The center opened Monday, Sept. 29.  Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., until further notice.

Residents are encouraged to register with FEMA before visiting a center. There are two ways to register: log on to www.fema.gov or call FEMA’s toll free number, 1-800-621-3362, or TTY       1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Residents should register only once; duplicate registrations may cause delays in the delivery of assistance.

Before going to the center, residents should make sure to have their identification, Social Security number, insurance information, proof of address and contact numbers on hand.

At the center, visitors can:

• Receive information about different types of state and federal disaster assistance.
• Get help completing low-interest loan applications from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and business owners.
• Inquire about the status of applications for federal assistance.
• Receive referrals to the American Red Cross and other voluntary organizations to help with immediate unmet needs.
• Learn cost-effective measures to reduce the impact of future disaster losses.

Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. Low-interest SBA disaster loans also are available for homeowners, renters and business owners for losses not covered by insurance or other sources.

More information is available online at www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.
FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).