By Tameka Kenan-Norman, City of Rocky Mount
North Carolina residents who suffered losses and damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew can get information about federal assistance at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) currently open in the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences, located at 270 Gay Street, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The center is projected to be open today through Saturday from 9am to 7pm, and on Sunday from 12pm to 5pm.
An end date for the center is dependent upon the number of people who attend.
Representatives from North Carolina Emergency Management, FEMA, and the US Small Business Administration are available at the DRC to help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance and to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans.
Additionally, the DRC may provide assistance on grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as for medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Specialists can also provide referrals to agencies that may give further assistance and check the status of a FEMA application. If possible, residents should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center. Registration may be completed online at disasterassistance.gov.
While visiting with a recovery specialist is not a requirement for survivors seeking disaster assistance, the centers are an excellent way for people to get answers to questions about disaster aid, to receive registration assistance and to gather information on housing assistance and rental resources. In fact, a FEMA Housing Assessment Team has started traveling into Nash and Edgecombe counties to determine the options for temporary housing for those displaced.
For more information, call the FEMA Helpline at 1.800.621.3362 (FEMA). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability may call 1.800.462.7585. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. The toll-free numbers are open from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week.
