CHATTAHOOCHEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Six weeks ago today, Hurricane Michael hit parts of Florida and Georgia.
As residents and businesses recover, FEMA has been on the ground in the Big Bend to make that process as smooth as possible.
A new disaster recovery center opened in Gadsden County Tuesday.
The roads are clear, but that's just about it.
There's a lot that still needs to be cleaned up. Several power lines are still down, and there's plenty of debris that hasn't been picked up.
But there is good news, the countywide burn ban was lifted Tuesday, and one of the apartment complexes finally got power back the same day.
That's also when FEMA brought a disaster recovery center to Gadsden, but it won't be there long.
Officials said 92 people stopped by Tuesday to get help with hurricane recovery.
FEMA said it picked Chattahoochee to set up to give residents a more convenient place in between the centers that have been open for several weeks now like in Gretna and Marianna.
People can get help with housing assistance, support for small businesses, and check on the status of their application for financial aid.
FEMA calls these centers a "one-stop-shop" for help. The staff said if you've received any kind of insurance settlement, bring that with you to help move the process along faster.
But time is running out. The deadline to apply for disaster assistance is December 10.
"Don't put off registering if you haven't done so. Don't assume that maybe the folks down the street had more damage and they need the help more than you do and maybe the funds wouldn't be available for a relatively minor damage," said Nate Custer, Public Information Officer for FEMA. "It's open to everybody on a case-by-case basis. We look at just what happened to you."
The center in Chattahoochee is closed for Thanksgiving, but reopens Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The same hours apply for the weekend, but Sunday will be the final day.
FEMA will adjust the hours for several centers in the Big Bend.
See the list below for the location nearest you.
County | Location | Operating Hours/Days |
Franklin | Carrabelle Public Library 311 Saint James Avenue Carrabelle, FL 32322 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Gadsden | Old Gretna Elementary School 706 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Gretna, FL 32332 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Holmes | Holmes County Agricultural Center 1173 E Hwy 90, Bonifay, FL 32425 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Leon | LeRoy Collins Main Library 200 W. Park Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Liberty | Veterans Memorial Park 10405 NW Theo Jacobs Way, Bristol, FL 32321 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Wakulla | Community One Stop 318 Shadeville Hwy., Crawfordville, FL 32327 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Washington | Washington County AG Center 1424 W. Jackson Avenue, Chipley, FL 32428 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays |
Bay | Bay County Public Library 898 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401 | Sun-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Bay | John B. Gore Park | Sun-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Calhoun | Blountstown Public Library 17731 NE Pear St. Blountstown, FL 32424 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun noon to 5 p.m. |
Gulf | Port Saint Joe Library 110 Library Drive, Port Saint Joe, FL 32456 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun noon to 5 p.m. |
Gulf | Wewahitchka Branch Library 314 N. 2nd St. Wewahitchka, FL 32465 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun noon to 5 p.m. |
Jackson | University Extension Office 2741 Penn Avenue, Marianna, FL 32448 | Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday noon to 5 p.m. |
