Cape Girardeau, MO – A joint Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) opens Thursday morning in Sikeston to give storm survivors an opportunity to talk face-to-face with disaster recovery specialists.
The center is located at the YMCA, 511 Taylor St. in Sikeston and will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice. The center will be closed on Sundays.
DRCs are a one-stop shop for disaster survivors who have applied with FEMA and need to present additional documentation or just have questions about the status of their cases. In addition to FEMA staff, representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be on hand to help survivors apply for low-interest disaster loans to help fund recovery efforts.
The FEMA assistance, granted last week by President Biden, helps eligible homeowners, renters and self-employed business owners in 10 Missouri counties who were impacted by the May 19-27 severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding.
The 10 counties are: Barry, Butler, Carter, Howell, New Madrid, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Texas.
Federal assistance to individuals and households can be in the form of grants to: find a temporary place to live, make minimal home repairs and/or to replace certain personal property. Eligible survivors who need accessibility equipment also may benefit from these grants.
Survivors are encouraged to apply with FEMA before visiting a DRC to make your trip there the most efficient. Individuals who are having difficulty applying can go to a DRC and get help with filing their initial application.
Here are the 3 best ways to apply:
- Online: www.disasterassistance.gov
- Phone: 800-621-FEMA (3362)
- Download and use the FEMA app
- Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
For more disaster-related information, visit the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency online at www.sema.dps.mo.gov or FEMA at www.fema.gov and www.fema.gov/disaster/4803.
FEMA is committed to ensuring disaster assistance is accomplished equitably, without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.
Any disaster survivor or member of the public may contact the FEMA Office of Civil Rights if they feel that they have a complaint of discrimination. FEMA’s Office of Civil Rights can be contacted at FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov or toll-free at 833-285-7448. Multilingual operators are available.