Articles

The following was produced by FEMA and is being republished here by Congressman Graves as a courtesy.

Feb. 15, 2017

News Release

Mobile Disaster Recovery Center to Open in Livingston Parish for Tornado Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. — A mobile disaster recovery center will open Thursday, Feb. 16, in Livingston Parish for homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the Feb. 7 tornadoes.

Specialists from the state of Louisiana, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernmental organizations and the local community will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about assistance available to survivors.

The disaster recovery center's location and hours of operation are:

Livingston Parish

Location: Livingston Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

20399 Government Blvd.

Livingston, LA 70754

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

If possible, register for FEMA assistance by phone or online before visiting the center. Going to a DRC is not a requirement for registration, but specialists there can provide guidance regarding disaster recovery and rental resources; explain written correspondence received from FEMA; inform survivors of the status of their applications; make referrals to other organizations; and answer questions.

Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362. TTY users should call 800-462-7585. The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Applicants will be asked to provide:

• Social Security number
• Address of the damaged primary residence
• Description of the damage
• Information about insurance coverage
• A current contact telephone number
• As address where they can receive mail
• Bank account and routing numbers for those preferring direct deposit of funds

Disaster recovery centers are staffed by representatives from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, National Flood Insurance Program specialists, volunteer groups and other agencies. These representatives are available to provide information about disaster assistance, flood insurance, personal and property risk reduction and low-interest disaster loans. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are canvassing affected areas and are able to register people for FEMA assistance if needed. Sometimes these teams will remain in certain locations convenient to the community, such as a library or mayor's office. When residents require further assistance the teams may refer them to a disaster recovery center nearby.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, applicants may contact the SBA's Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting the SBA's website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, download the FEMA mobile app, or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4300.