UPDATE October 5:
The DRCs, operated by the state of Georgia and FEMA in Cook and Lowndes counties will remain open to continue serving Hurricane Idalia survivors, but with some change in hours of operation:
Beginning Sunday, Oct. 8, both DRCs will be closed on Sundays.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 9, DRC hours will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday (including Columbus Day).
Disaster Recovery Centers provide one-on-one help to people affected by Hurricane Idalia and survivors can visit any DRC. DRCs remain open at:
Cook County Extension Services206 E. Ninth St.
Adel, GA 31620
Lowndes County Civic Center
2108 E. Hill Ave.
Valdosta, GA 31601
ORIGINAL STORY:
- Help with Hurricane Idalia recovery is now available in South Georgia.
- Leaders have opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Cook County.
- The center is located in Adel.
NEWS RELEASE:
The State of Georgia and FEMA have opened a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Cook County to serve Hurricane Idalia survivors from Cook, Glynn and Lowndes counties.
DRCs are dedicated, accessible and established locations where specialists from FEMA’s Individual Assistance program can help survivors face to face. Highly trained specialists assist survivors through the recovery process, explaining the types of assistance available from FEMA, such as housing and other needs assistance.
The Disaster Recovery Center is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week at:
Cook County Extension Services 206 E. Ninth St.
Adel, GA 31620
A DRC also is in Lowndes County at:
Lowndes County Civic Center
2108 E. Hill Ave.
Valdosta, GA 31601
The operating hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
The deadline to apply for assistance is Nov. 6, 2023.
Some of the services offered at a DRC include:
§ Applying for assistance
§ Reviewing application status updates
§ Clarification of any written correspondence for FEMA
§ Guidance about disaster recovery and eligibility
§ Collecting and scanning new information or documents needed for case files
In addition to FEMA personnel, representatives from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), other state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available at the DRC to assist survivors.
You do not need to visit a DRC to apply.
If you are unable to visit the Lowndes County DRC, you can apply to FEMA for federal assistance online at disasterassistance.gov, [disasterassistance.gov] by calling 800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA mobile app. [fema.gov] If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance [youtube.com].
Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are also available for homeowners, renters, businesses and most private nonprofits to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. After registering with FEMA, survivors and businesses may apply online at SBA’s secure website https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela [disasterloanassistance.sba.gov] under SBA declaration #18143. Disaster loan information and application forms can also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded from sba.gov/disaster [sba.gov].
For the latest information on Georgia’s recovery from Hurricane Idalia, visit fema.gov/disaster/4738 [fema.gov], follow FEMA on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/femaregion4 [twitter.com] and at facebook.com/fema [facebook.com].
