FEMA OPENS FOURTH OFFICE IN MONMOUTH COUNTY
To further assist in the local recovery from Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has opened an additional Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at Long Branch Fire Station #4 at 109-205 Union Ave.
The Long Branch location, along with the DRCs in Belmar, the Leonardo section of Middletown and Union Beach are open Tuesday and Wednesday this week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The DRCs are closed Thanksgiving Day andwill reopen Friday, Nov. 23, with new hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
The DRC locations in Monmouth County are:
- Belmar Municipal Building, 601 Main St., Belmar, NJ 07719
- Henry Hudson Trail Activity Center, 945 Hwy 36, Leonardo, NJ 07737 (Atlantic Highlands/ Middletown border)
- Long Branch Fire Station #4, 109-205 Union Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740
- Union Beach Municipal Building, 650 Poole Ave., Union Beach, NJ 07735
The DRCs are set up for residents to be able to speak one-on-one to recovery representatives, but it is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance
Before going to a DRC, it is helpful to register with FEMA. Apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.govor by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants whohave a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
FEMAassistance can include grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs tohelp individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. FEMA program specialists are available to provide registrationand 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.
Each Disaster Recovery Center is staffed with FEMA, SBA and state agency disaster recovery specialists who are ready to help survivors through the recovery process.