TRENTON – Beginning Sunday, Dec. 9, all Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) centers will be closed on Sundays. The centers will continue serving the community during their regular hours on all other days.
There are now 33 DRCs open in New Jersey. All are open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. except for the center in Bay Head which opens from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the curfew remains in effect.
Individuals can register for assistance and follow up on their applications online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.FEMA.gov. By phone or 711/VRS, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
DRCs allow residents to speak one-on-one to recovery representatives. FEMA program specialists are available to provide registration and other information, and to answer questions at the centers. These include mitigation specialists who can provide guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.
It is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance.
In addition to FEMA program specialists, customer service representatives from the SBA are available to answer questions about the SBA low-interest disaster loan program, and to assist with disaster loan applications.
An applicant may go to any DRC, even if it is located in another county or state. Once an application has been made, a FEMA registration number is assigned. It can be accessed nationally.
DRC locations change frequently. The closest open offices can be found online at http://asd.FEMA.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. An alternative is FEMA.gov/DRC.
