AUSTIN, Texas – Two State of Texas/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will open Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in Orange County, in the city of Orange and Tyler County, in the city of Woodville.
Disaster recovery centers offer in-person support to individuals and businesses in counties included in the Texas federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent floods.
Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the State and other agencies will be at the centers to talk about assistance and to help anyone who needs guidance in filing an application. The new centers are at the following locations.
Orange County Convention and Expo Center
11475 FM 1442
Orange, TX 77630
Services: Registration, status update, SBA. Thur-Sat 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Services: Registration. Mon-Wed 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Tractor Supply
1211 South Magnolia Rd.
Woodville, TX 75979
Services: Registration, status update, SBA. Thur- Sat 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Services: Registration. Mon-Wed 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Closed Sundays
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster assistance employees are committed to helping businesses and residents rebuild as quickly as possible. SBA representatives are available to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program and help business owners and residents apply to SBA.
Disaster recovery centers are accessible to people with disabilities. Centers have assistive technology equipment allowing disaster survivors to use amplified telephones, phones that display text, amplified listening devices for people with hearing loss and magnifiers for people with vision loss. Video Remote Interpreting is available and in-person sign language is available by request. The centers also have accessible parking, ramps and restrooms.
American Sign Language interpreters are available to assist at a DRC. Requests can be made via text message at (470) 379-5943. Survivors will need to provide their name, the address of the DRC they will be visiting, the date and time of their visit and the type of sign language they are requesting. All requests for help should be made at least 24 hours in advance of a DRC visit to ensure assistance is available.
If possible, homeowners, renters and businesses should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center. Eligible residents may register for assistance the following ways:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Phone 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS-Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
- Via the FEMA app, available for Apple and Android mobile devices. To download visit: fema.gov/mobile-app.
The following information is helpful when registering:
- Address of the location where the damage occurred (pre-disaster address).
- Current mailing address.
- Current telephone number.
- Insurance information.
- Total household annual income.
- Routing and account number for checking or savings account (this allows FEMA to directly transfer disaster assistance funds into a bank account).
- A description of disaster-caused damage and losses.
Disaster survivors can visit any of the centers for assistance. Locations of other recovery centers are online at www.fema.gov/DRC.
Homeowners, renters and businesses in Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties may be eligible for help.
For more information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332, the FEMA Harvey Facebook page, the @FEMARegion6 Twitter account and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website.