F E M A alert for texas

Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:52 am

McALLEN, Texas – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Sebastian to assist Willacy County individuals, households and businesses affected by Hurricane Dolly, recovery officials have announced.

It will be located at the IRRA Community Building, formerly known as the Martin Cavazos Center for Education and Advancement, 3870 N. West Ave., Sebastian, Texas 78594. The DRC will operate from 1 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and will remain open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This DRC will close at the end of business Saturday.

The hours of operations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) other DRCs sites (listed below) will remain 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and open from 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Cameron County
Harlingen Municipal
Auditorium
1204 Fair Park Blvd.
Harlingen, TX 78550

Hidalgo County
La Villa Middle School
Multipurpose Room
500 E. Ninth St.
La Villa, TX 78562

Willacy County
American Legion
211 W. Hidalgo Ave.
Raymondville, TX 78580

Cameron County:
University of Texas
Robert E. Lee Youth Center
600 International Blvd
Brownsville, TX 78520

Hidalgo County:
Community Resource Center
509 E. Earling Road
San Juan, TX 78589

BEGINNING AUG. 13
IRRA Community Bld.
Former Martin Cavazos Center
3870 N. West Ave.
Sebastian, TX 78594
Hrs. Wed. 1 to 7 p.m.
Thur., Fri., Sat. from
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Close end of business Saturday

The DRCs are staffed with FEMA, other federal and state agencies, voluntary organizations and disaster recovery specialists who are ready to help affected residents through the process of applying for disaster assistance.

Applicants should register by calling FEMA toll-free 800-621-FEMA (3362). Those with a speech or hearing impairment may call TTY 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily until further notice. Application for disaster assistance can also be made if you have access to a computer by registering online at www.fema.gov., or at one of the Disaster Recovery Centers.

Once registered, FEMA disaster recovery specialists can check an individual’s case, answer questions about their claim, or request information FEMA needs to process their claim. Recovery specialists can also supply contacts for other programs that may be able to help.