September 6, 2011 NR009-DR-4020-NY FEMA News Desk 571-408-3177 NYS OEM News Desk: 518-292-2310

SBA Contact: 404-805-7632

News Release
FEMA OPENS MORE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS
ALBANY, N.Y. Two additional state and federal Disaster Recovery Centers were opened in Westchester and Ulster counties today to assist individuals, households and businesses that suffered damage from Hurricane Irene and the subsequent flooding, federal and state emergency management officials said. This brings to eight the number of centers that are open and operating. The new offices are shaded in yellow below: Westchester County * Westchester County Center 198 Central Avenue White Plains, NY 10606 *opened 9/6/11 Rensselear County Social Services Office 127 Blooming Grove Drive Troy, NY 12180 Ulster County* Business Resource Center 1061 Development Court Ulster Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 *opened 9/6/11 Belleayre Mountain Ski Area Belleayre Mountain Road Pine Hill, NY 12465 Essex County Town Hall 11 School Street Jay, NY 12912 Schoharie County Holiday Inn Express 160 Holiday Way Schoharie, NY 12157 Greene County Prattsville Town Hall 49 Main Street Prattsville, NY 12468 Schenectady County Rotterdam Mall 93 West Campbell Rotterdam, NY 12306

Essex County The centers are staffed with disaster-recovery specialists who can provide information and answer Town Hall questions about hurricane-related assistance, according to FEMA and state officials. Operating 11 will be 8:00 hoursSchool Street am to 8:00 pm seven days a week until further notice. Jay, NY 12912 Before visiting a recovery center, I strongly recommend people seeking assistance, to register with Schoharie County FEMA before hand, said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Philip Parr. Having spoken with or Holiday Inn Express 160 Holiday Way Schoharie, NY

otherwise having contacted state or local officials does not count. You must register with FEMA in order to apply for help. Registration is quick and simple, Parr said. By phone, call the FEMA Hotline at 800-621-3362. For those with speech or hearing disabilities, use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or with any PDA device at m.fema.gov. Information needed when registering with FEMA includes the address of the damaged property, names of those living in the household, a general description of the damage, the Social Security Account number of any family member living in the home, the extent of insurance coverage and certain other information needed to expedite the process. New York state agencies will join FEMA to provide services to the public at the centers. These include, but are not limited to: information about state disaster aid and help for unemployed persons and displaced workers as the result of the hurricane; information for senior citizens about statefunded programs; access to forms and services pertaining to motor-vehicle issues; coordination and assistance with any needs for daycare services; and access to MyBenefits pre-screening tool. Representatives of these and other agencies will participate as determined by need. Also on hand at the Disaster Recovery Centers will be specialists from the Small Business Administration (SBA) who can explain the low-interest loan packages available to individuals, nonprofits and businesses of any size. These loans are for the repair or replacement of real estate and/or personal property damaged by the storm and related flooding, officials said. People who register with FEMA will be sent a loan application from the SBA. No one is obligated to take out a loan, according to the SBA. Applicants have six months after approval to decide whether to accept the loan. FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation, medical and dental, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. But applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement and moving and storage expenses. ### FEMAs mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.