FEMA, state open mobile disaster recovery center in Hatteras

A FEMA and state mobile disaster recovery center (MDRC) is opening on Monday, Oct.31, at the Hatteras Civic Center and will be open there for three days — until Wednesday, Nov. 2, to help victims of Hurricane Matthew.

A MDRC is a readily accessible mobile office where you can go for information about FEMA, other disaster assistance programs or get answers to questions related to your situation.

Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, North Carolina Emergency Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to speak with you face-to-face to answer questions you may have regarding the disaster assistance process, other assistance available and even help you register if you haven’t already.

If you have registered, they can provide you with an update of your application status and if needed, discuss the appeal process.

The center will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will 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.

Dare County Emergency Management is continuing to work with FEMA and other disaster relief agencies to provide additional opportunities across Dare County for mobile disaster recovery centers.

FEMA and the state also have DRCs open in other impacted counties. To locate a DRC nearest to you, call 800-621-3362 or download the FEMA mobile app. If you have access to a computer, you can go online to ReadyNC.org.

If you have phone and/or internet access, you may register in one of the following ways:

Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.

Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. It is the same number if you use 711 or Video Relay Service.

Call 800-462-7585 if you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and you use a TTY

Download the FEMA Mobile App and apply.

Survivors requiring a reasonable accommodation such as American Sign Language interpreting, Braille large print, etc. while visiting a disaster recovery center may call the Helpline number for support. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Help is available in most languages, and information on the registration process is available in ASL at http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assests/videos/111546.

For more information on the North Carolina recovery, visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4285 or visit www.readync.org. Follow FEMA on Twitter at @femaregion4 or North Carolina Emergency Management @ncemergency.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.