FEMA is open for business in Orange County. The federal agency opened an office Monday, October 14, in the Orange County Convention and Expo Center located on FM 1442.
Jerry Kiltz the director of the local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) has already assisted a large number of citizens at the DRC. The office is open seven days a week from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
A full staff of FEMA representatives are available to help survivors needing assistance to recover from the Imelda natural disaster. The DRC can provide individual assistance, assistance for small business owners, help with mitigation, and is expecting additional services coming in the office.
Kiltz said the DRC can provide references to applicants that come to the Expo Center. He recommends citizens whether they are qualified or not to come to the DRC. Citizens can also go online to disaster.gov to register or they can call the help line (800) 621-3362 and do an application there.
After filling out an application, Kiltz encourages survivors to come to the DRC to make sure everything is correct on the form. FEMA will then give directions to the survivors what their next steps are.
The Red Cross has also opened a center at the Expo Center. The Red Cross has been serving many survivors in several ways for about a week between 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day. The Red Cross center is scheduled to close on Friday, October 18, but may open again later.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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