Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that two more state and federal Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRCs) will open for three days starting this Friday. One center will open in Broome County and Chenango County on Friday October 14th. The DRCs will assist individuals, households and businesses affected by Tropical Storm Lee and the subsequent flooding. Operating hours will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday, October 16th.
“These mobile disaster recovery centers are a critical step in helping Southern Tier residents and business owners get the FEMA assistance they need and deserve,” said Schumer. “Our communities shouldn’t be left to shoulder this massive burden alone. I strongly encourage homeowners and business owners to visit these mobile disaster relief centers this weekend so that they can find out exactly how FEMA can help.”
“Families in the Southern Tier are losing their homes, businesses and livelihood in the wake of this devastating storm, and need relief,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These Disaster Recovery Centers will help provide a lifeline for families, and help put more of the resources we need on the ground. I will keep working to secure every federal resource we need here to recover.”
The mobile disaster recovery centers will be located at:
Broome County
Broome County, it will be in Windsor at the Fire Department, 4 Academy Street.
Chenango County
In Chenango County, the center will be at Mimi’s parking lot in the Town of Greene, 7 North Chenango Street
DRCs currently in operation in Broome County are:
Johnson City Police Dept., 31 Avenue C, Johnson City, N.Y. 13790
Vestal Public Library, 320 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, N.Y. 13850
Broome County Library, 185 Court Street, Binghamton, N.Y. 13901
Conklin Town Hall, 1271 Conklin Road, Conklin, N.Y. 13748
The centers will be staffed with disaster-recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about storm-related assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) strongly recommends that persons adversely affected by Tropical Storm Lee register before visiting a MDRC. By phone, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. People with hearing disabilities can use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device or smartphone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”
Information needed when registering with FEMA includes the address of the damaged property, names of those living in the household, a general description of the damage, the Social Security number of any family member living in the home, the extent of insurance coverage and certain other information needed to expedite the process.
Also on hand at the center will be specialists from the Small Business Administration (SBA) who can explain the low-interest loan packages available to individuals, nonprofits and businesses of any size. These loans are for the repair or replacement of real estate and/or personal property damaged by the storm and related flooding, officials said. People who register with FEMA may be sent a loan application from the SBA.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for transportation, medical and dental, and funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. But applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement and moving and storage expenses.