A Minnesota Disaster Recovery Center to Open in Steele County
Bloomington, Minn. – (RealEstateRama) — A disaster recovery center will open this week in Steele County to help renters, homeowners and businesses in Minnesota affected by the severe storms and flooding of Sept. 21-24.
Steele County
Opening: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016
Location: (The old) Cedarview Nursing Home
1409 S. Cedar Ave.
Owatonna, MN 55060
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
At the recovery center, representatives from FEMA, the Homeland Security Emergency Management division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies explain disaster assistance programs, answer questions about written correspondence and provide literature about repairs and rebuilding to make homes more flood resistant.
Before visiting a recovery center, survivors should register for federal assistance one of the following ways:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov;
- Using the FEMA App; or
- Call 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTYmay call 800-462-7585. The toll-free numbers are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
Anyone requiring a reasonable accommodation (ASL interpreting, Braille, Large print, etc.) may call 800-621-3362 to request assistance in advance or ask the recovery staff at the center for assistance.
Seven Minnesota counties have been approved for individual assistance including Blue Earth, Freeborn, Hennepin, Le Sueur, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties. Additional recovery centers will be opening to support survivors in many of these counties.
Applying for disaster assistance is essentially a two-step process, which ensures consideration for all FEMA programs and SBA disaster loans. First, register with FEMA, then complete and return the no-obligation SBA loan application, if one is offered. There is no charge to apply for the loan and if approved, no obligation to accept it.
FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and does not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits. Survivors should register even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled.
A free multilingual guide to the types of available assistance is found online at fema.gov/pdf/assistance/process/help_after_disaster_english.pdf.
For more information on Minnesota recovery, visit the disaster webpages at fema.gov/disaster/4290, Ready.gov/Minnesota and dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion5 or @MnDPS_HSEM.
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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 or TTY at 800-462-7585.
If you are Deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use TTY call 800-462-7585 to register. For those who use 711 or Video Relay Service, you may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with equipment to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication access. If you require a reasonable accommodations (ASL interpreting, Braille, Large print, etc.) while visiting a Disaster Recovery Center, call 1-800-621-3362 (V/711/VRS) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY).
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
HSEM Contact: Amber Schindeldecker 651-201-7576
FEMA News Desk: 952-824-3554
