DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER OPENS IN SHAWNEE

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have established a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Pottawatomie County to serve individuals affected by severe storms, flooding and tornadoes. The center will open on Thursday, July 19 at 8 a.m. The hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (local time).

The center will be open for five days from July 19 through July 23. It will close while staff shifts to another location to help flood victims. It will reopen for six days on Tuesday July 31 through Sunday August 5.

The Disaster Recovery Center is located at the Conference Center Building, Heart of OK Expo Center, 1700 W. Independence, Shawnee.

Written materials on various assistance programs will be available. The programs include temporary housing assistance, individual and family grants, low interest SBA loans and disaster unemployment assistance.

SBA representatives at the DRC will meet individually with each applicant to provide assistance in completing their disaster loan application, answer any questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, and accept completed disaster loan applications. SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations for losses not fully covered by insurance. The SBA may loan up to $200,000 to repair or replace homes and up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property. Up to $1.5 million is available for uncompensated business disaster losses.

“We encourage anyone who was affected by the storms to call the toll-free registration number even if they have applied to other service agencies,” said State Coordinating Officer Fred W. Liebe. Don’t assume you will not be eligible for our help.”

FEMA’s toll-free number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).