By By EDWIN MODLIN II
edwin@wdnweb.com
Staff Writer
The temporary Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery center located on North Market Street in Washington closes at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Similar centers in Bertie, Brunswick, Craven, Hertford, Jones, Pender and Tyrrell counties will close at the same time and day.
According to Nate Custer, a FEMA public information officer, the reason for the closings is because FEMA wants to locate four other centers in locations that are more accessible to residents in need of assistance.
FEMA recently opened a center in Pitt County at the Gardnerville Volunteer Fire Department near Ayden. That center will open only from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. today and Friday.
Custer said he wants Beaufort County residents to understand that although the center in their county is closing, they may still receive disaster relief assistance.
“This does not mean people can’t get assistance. They can,” he said. “It just means we’ll be located in the next county over.”
“Since the disaster declaration was issued,” he said, “more than 3,000 people have registered with FEMA for assistance in North Carolina, and over 2,400 inspections have been completed.”
According to Custer, more than 2,100 people have visited recovery centers and almost $2.9 million in federal disaster grants have been approved for North Carolina residents.
“The closing of the eight offices was more of a joint decision with the state,” Custer said. “Two more temporary offices will be opening in Martin and Washington counties Monday morning.”
Custer said the sites of the new temporary offices have yet to be determined.
Disaster-recovery assistance is money or direct assistance provided to individuals, families and businesses in an area where property has been damaged or destroyed and where losses are not covered by insurance.
Custer said disaster assistance may be in the form of money, grants that are available to individuals and loans made available to small businesses and individuals. Grants are not given to businesses, but loans are provided.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance, grants for disaster-related medical and dental expenses and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an Small Business Administration loan. Applicants who receive SBA loan applications must complete and submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair/replacement and moving and storage expenses.
Custer suggests residents seeking recovery assistance of any kind call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, or 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities.
The disaster recovery loan application process may be initiated by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955, or 1-800-877-8339 for people with speech or hearing disabilities, Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by sending e-mails to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Those affected by the latest disaster may fill out a loan application online by visiting SBA’s secure website at www.disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 13. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 14, 2011.
The Pitt County recovery center is located at 9521 County Home Road, Ayden. Its phone number 252)-746-4909. People can also visit www.disasterassistance.gov for information on how to receive recovery assistance.