Help Remains After Disaster Recovery Centers Close in Oregon, Ozark and Stone Counties

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., July 10 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Centers in Oregon County in the city of Alton, Ozark County in the city of Gainesville and Stone County in the city of Galena will close permanently at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. But survivors of the 2017 flooding and severe storms will still be able to get help with just a phone call.

Many of the services from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) available at recovery centers are also available on the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, certain private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.

SBA also offers low-interest working capital loans (called Economic Injury Disaster Loans) to small businesses and nonprofit organizations having difficulty meeting obligations as a result of the disaster.

For more information, applicants may contact SBA's Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or go to SBA's website at SBA.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

The deadline to register with FEMA is Aug. 1, 2017. To register:

* Call 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CST. Multilingual registration assistance is available. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362. Those who use TTY may call 800-462-7585; MO Relay 800-735-2966; CapTel 877-242-2823; Speech to Speech 877-735-7877; VCO 800-735-0135. Multilingual operators will be available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

* Go online to register online at DisasterAssistance.gov.

* Use the FEMA app (https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app) for smartphones

The FEMA Helpline can help survivors:

* Register with FEMA.

* Provide a change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information to avoid disaster assistance processing delays.

* Obtain information about FEMA home inspections.

* Get other questions answered about federal disaster assistance.

* Get questions answered about letters from FEMA.

* Learn how to appeal a FEMA decision.

Having the nine-digit FEMA registration number and ZIP code of the affected property will be useful when calling the Helpline.

The federal disaster declaration covers eligible losses caused by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding between April 28 and May 11, 2017, in these counties: Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell, Jasper, Jefferson, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, and Texas.