FEMA disaster recovery center opens in Ferguson

FERGUSON, Mo. — Another FEMA disaster recovery center in the St. Louis area will open Tuesday to help people affected by flash flooding in late July, the second in less than a week.

On Aug. 30, the center will open at the Urban League Empowerment Center at 9420 W Florissant Ave. to provide one-on-one assistance to flooding victims. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

There are four other centers open in the St. Louis area. They are all open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• St. Louis County
  • Hazelwood Civic Center
    8969 Dunn Road
    Hazelwood, MO 63042
  • Urban League Empowerment Center           

    9420 W Florissant Ave.
    Ferguson, MO 63136

• St. Louis
  • Ranken Technical College
    Mary Ann Lee Technology Center
    1313 N. Newstead Ave.
    St. Louis, MO 63113
    (On the corner of Newstead and Page)
• St. Charles County
  • Developmental Disabilities Resource Board – DDRB Building
    1025 Country Club Road
    St. Charles, MO 63303
    (I-70 near Zumbehl Road Exit)

Anyone who has flood damage but has not yet made contact with the Red Cross should call 1 (800) 733-2767. The Red Cross requires an assessment of flood damage, but you can set up an appointment for a team to come out by calling that number.

The Red Cross will also connect callers with the local organizations that were at the MARCs, including state government representatives and representatives from non-profit and faith-based disaster relief organizations.

Red Cross assistance is for living quarters only, but FEMA aid can be used more widely.

To apply for FEMA aid, go to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call FEMA’s toll-free application line at 1-800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week.

RELATED: Now that Red Cross MARCs are closed, here's how you can get flooding assistance

To speed up the process of getting help, flooding victims are encouraged to document damage and save related receipts. The sooner victims apply for FEMA aid, the sooner they may receive assistance.

The deadline for most individual assistance programs is 60 days following the president’s major disaster declaration. That would be Friday, Oct. 7. Disaster assistance to eligible individuals generally falls into the following categories:

• Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced persons whose residences were heavily damaged or destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
• Disaster Grants, which are available to help meet other serious disaster-related needs and necessary expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs. These may include replacement of personal property, and transportation, medical, dental, and funeral expenses.
• Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing, or other damaged personal property. SBA loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury. Businesses can visit sba.gov or call 1-800-569-2955.
• Other Disaster Aid Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, legal aid and assistance with income tax, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.

A FEMA spokesperson says there are many different types of relief including help to get you a ride if yours was damaged by flood waters.

"If it's the car that you need to get back and forth to work, come in and see us," La-Tanga Hopes said. "If you are unable to go to work because of the floods and storms, this is something you should look at. If you are going back and forth with landlord or have concerns about your insurance policy, we also have people who can answer questions." 

Red Cross and FEMA application processes are separate and may require separate assessments. It's possible for applicants to qualify for assistance from the Red Cross, FEMA or both.

The Red Cross overnight shelter remains open at St. Vincent Community Center at 7335 St. Charles Rock Road. Wednesday night into Thursday, more than 30 people stayed at the shelter.

For more ways to stay in touch with the Red Cross, download the Red Cross Emergency app from your app store or by clicking here.

You can also call 211 to get connected with United Way, which can point you in the right direction.