A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now officially open in Leominster, Worcester County. Specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have been stationed at Leominster’s city hall for the last two days helping residents affected by the storms and flooding that took place on Sept. 11-13, 2023 to apply for disaster assistance. As of Friday, May 31, more specialists and resources will be available with a larger footprint at the location to answer questions and provide more information on disaster assistance.
The joint DRC is a temporary facility established in partnership between Massachusetts and FEMA and is accessible to people with disabilities or who may not speak English well or need American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation services. The facilities are equipped with assistive technology equipment, including, Video Remote Interpreting, large print or braille material and amplified listening systems. If you need a reasonable accommodation, sign language interpreter, or translation or interpreter assistance, please let a FEMA specialist at the center know. If a disaster survivor cannot travel to the DRC, FEMA will arrange a home visit.
Disaster assistance specialists at the center can help residents apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, upload documents needed for their application and answer questions in person. SBA specialists can provide information on low-interest disaster loans available to homeowners, renters businesses and nonprofits. SBA loans provide the largest source of federal disaster assistance.
The DRC is located at:
Leominster City Hall 25 West Street
Leominster, MA 01453
Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
You do not need an appointment to visit a DRC.
Those affected by the disaster do not have to visit a DRC to apply for disaster assistance. Survivors can also register in one of the following ways:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The FEMA website is accessible and includes language translation options.
- By phone at 1-800-621-3362. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish and 3 for all other languages. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
- Download FEMA’s Mobile App. Select Disaster Resources and click on Apply for Assistance Online.