The State of South Carolina and FEMA will open a Disaster Recovery Center in Florence County on Wednesday.
The new disaster center will be located at Howe Springs Fire Station five, located at 4395 S. Irby Street in Florence, according to a press release from Henry McMaster Office of the Governor. The center’s hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Disaster Recovery Centers offer in-person support to individuals and businesses in the counties included in the South Carolina major disaster declaration for Hurricane Florence and the subsequent floods,” the release states. Officials from the State of South Carolina, FEMA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be at the center to assist with finding recovery resources.
“The centers are accessible to people with disabilities. Centers have assistive technology equipment allowing disaster survivors to use amplified telephones, phones that display text, amplified listening devices for people with hearing loss, and magnifiers for people with vision loss,” says the release. “Recovery information is also available in Braille. Video Remote Interpreting is available and in-person sign language is available by request. The centers also have accessible parking, ramps and restrooms.”
Homeowners, renters and businesses can also check their eligibility for federal, state and voluntary agency disaster assistance available by:
- Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov
- Calling 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585)
- Using the FEMA app, available for Apple and Android mobile devices at fema.gov/mobile-app.
The following information is helpful when registering:
- Address of the location where the damage occurred (pre-disaster address)
- Current mailing address
- Current telephone number
- Insurance information
- Total household annual income
- Routing and account number for checking or savings account (this allows direct transfer of funds into a bank account)
- A description of disaster-caused damage and losses
Disaster survivors can visit any center for assistance. Visit www.fema.gov/DRC to view other locations.