SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Malibu Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Los Angeles County will close permanently at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18.
Until then, the center, at the Malibu Courthouse, 23525 Civic Center Way, Malibu, will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 pm.
DRCs are jointly operated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DRCs offer information concerning resources available to homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the wildfires.
Three other DRCs will remain open to serve survivors of the November California wildfires. They are:
Los Angeles County Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 30440 Agoura Rd. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Closed Sundays| Butte County Chico Mall – Former Sears 1982 E. 20th St. Chico, CA 95928 Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Closed Sundays | Butte County Oroville Store Front Location 2140 Feather River Blvd. Oroville, CA 95965 Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Closed Sundays |
Representatives of FEMA’s Individual Assistance and Mitigation teams, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and other state and federal agencies, as well as nongovernmental service organizations, staff the DRCs.
DRCs are accessible for individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs. They have on-site communication accessibility tools, including amplified listening devices, Video Relay Interpreting and Cap Tel phones. ASL interpreters are available upon request.
The registration deadline for federal disaster assistance is Jan. 31. Survivors are encouraged to file insurance claims for damages to their homes, cars and businesses before applying for FEMA assistance. They can register with FEMA at any DRC, online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). Multi-lingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (PST).
Survivors may also apply for low-interest disaster loans with the SBA at their nearest DRC, apply online at SBA.gov/disaster, or contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 for more information.
Californians impacted by the wildfires that started on Nov. 8 in Butte, Los Angeles and counties can find their nearest DRC at https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator or texting 43362 with the message DRC and their ZIP Code. Standard message and data rates apply.
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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).
FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during and after disasters.
The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.