Center to open Monday at Family Life Center

A state/federal Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open Monday in Cassville to give Missourians impacted by the late May storms an opportunity to talk face-to-face with disaster recovery specialists.

The center – which will be open from Sept 9-14 – will be located at the First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, at 504 West St. in Cassville. Hours of operation are: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DRCs are a one-stop shop for disaster survivors who have applied with FEMA and need to provide additional documentation or have questions about the status of their cases. 

In addition to FEMA staff, representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be on hand to help survivors apply for low-interest disaster loans to help fund recovery efforts.

The Barry County DRC is one of three centers serving disaster-impacted Missourians. The two other DRCs are in Sikeston at the YMCA, located at 511 Taylor St. and in Doniphan at the Ripley County Caring Community Partnership building, located at 209 West Highway St. Doniphan. Hours of operation are: 8 a.m. to  6 p.m., Monday-Friday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until further notice. All centers are closed on Sundays.

Homeowners, renters and self-employed business owners in 10 Missouri counties who were impacted by May 19-27 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding can visit any DRC for one-on-one help, regardless of where they live. Services at the centers are free. 

The 10 counties are: Barry, Butler, Carter, Howell, New Madrid, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Texas.    

Federal assistance to eligible individuals and households can be in the form of grants to find a temporary place to live, make minimal home repairs and/or to replace certain personal property. Eligible survivors who need accessibility equipment also may benefit from these grants.

Survivors are encouraged to apply with FEMA before visiting a DRC to make the visit most efficient.  Individuals who are having difficulty applying can go to a DRC and get help with filing their initial application. 

Here are the 3 best ways to apply:

• Online: www.disasterassistance.gov

• Phone:  800-621-FEMA (3362)

• Download and use the FEMA app

Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.

For more disaster-related information, visit the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency online at www.sema.dps.mo.gov or FEMA at www.fema.gov and www.fema.gov/disaster/4803.

FEMA is committed to ensuring disaster assistance is accomplished equitably, without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.

Any disaster survivor or member of the public may contact the FEMA Office of Civil Rights if they feel that they have a complaint of discrimination.  FEMA’s Office of Civil Rights can be contacted at FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov or toll-free at 833-285-7448. Multilingual operators are available.