FEMA and SBA staff onsite in Franklin County to help relief for March tornado victim
Franklin County, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The U.S. Small Business istration announced Wednesday morning that the opening of the St. Louis Disaster Loan Outreach Center has been postponed until further notice.
The center was set to open at St. Louis Community College starting Wednesday, at Harrison Education Center, 3140 Cass Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63106.
SBA says it will provide updates on when the center will open.
Cynthia Cowell, a spokesperson for the SBA, said the agency would offer for homeowners, renters and businesses dealing with uninsured losses from the tornado, which damaged more than 350 homes in the area.
“We’re here to help everyone who had losses,” Cowell said. “Once you’ve been approved for a loan you don’t have to take money right away. You can wait until have permits in line and your contractor and all that. Payments aren’t due until after your first disbursement.”
Cowell said that SBA has already approved around one million dollars in tornado relief funds, mostly to homeowners in Franklin County.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up shop at the First Baptist Church in Gray Summit to offer resources for people impacted by the March 14 tornado that swept through Franklin County.
Sara Zuckerman, who is part of the FEMA deployment to the region, said that STL residents impacted by the May 16 tornado can also utilize the Franklin County location or apply online now that the White House has approved the disaster declaration for the May storm.
“We can process resources for those disasters right away. Those of us who are on the ground were already ing Missouri Disasters. You can go ahead and apply for those,” Zuckerman said.
Here’s how to apply:
- Online: www.disasterassistance.gov
- Phone: 800-621-3362 (FEMA) from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central
- 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 an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI
When applying for assistance, ensure the following information is readily available:
- A current phone number where you can be ed
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
- Your Social Security number, if available
- A general list of damage and losses
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name
- Bank and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds
FEMA works with each household on a case-by-case basis. Grants from FEMA can include money for temporary housing and repairs, replacement for essential personal property and more to help individuals and businesses recover after a disaster.
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