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    • Disaster Recovery Centers Offer an In-Person Chance to Get FEMA Support
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    Disaster Recovery Centers Offer an In-Person Chance to Get FEMA Support

    Umito Posted on

    In the quiet lower level of the Greeneville Courthouse Annex Building sits a busy disaster recovery center, where FEMA agents’ goal is to make life a little easier for Tennesseans seeking normality after Hélène.

    FEMA recently expanded its operations in flood-ravaged East Tennessee, opening additional disaster recovery centers in Greene and Hamblen counties.

    For those who still don’t have access to the internet or electricity, or who simply prefer the more personal nature of an in-person conversation, one of FEMA’s disaster recovery centers might be the perfect way to ask for help. The centers also provide an opportunity to address specific questions or discuss a particular need.

    In Greene County, the center doesn’t seem too bureaucratic and there aren’t long wait times like at the DMV. There is a conversational approach that recognizes the individuality of each person’s situation.

    Providing community resources and support is a priority at all centers. “Talking to people is great,” said Bob Nix, a FEMA hazard mitigation specialist working at the Greene County center.

    “That’s why we do what we do. At the end of the day, it helps people,” said FEMA Representative Rick Brewer. “We’re just here to support people.”

    What is happening in disaster recovery centers?

    At a disaster recovery center, FEMA agents are available to help you request assistance, check the status of an application and review decision letters, Brewer said.

    Some centers also offer Risk Mitigation Support, a resource that includes information helpful to those rebuilding, from tips on hiring a reputable contractor to tools for assessing whether a house or rental property is in a flood plain.

    The average length of a visit to the Greene County center is about 20 to 25 minutes, Brewer said, and most visitors were seen immediately.

    Those who come to the center to complete an initial application should be prepared with the following items, according to FEMA:

    • Name and social security number of principal applicant
    • Name and social security number of co-applicant (recommended by FEMA, but not required)
    • Current contact details
    • Current and pre-disaster address, including zip codes
    • Names of all occupants of the home before the disaster
    • Types of Insurance Held by Household
    • Annual gross household income before the disaster
    • Losses caused by the disaster
    • Bank account number and routing number for direct deposit of funds, if requested

    More than 10,000 Tennessee households have filed claims since the disaster was declared. In central Greene County, an average of about 17 households per day have come seeking help since it opened Oct. 22.

    The Greene County Center is accessible and has parking, two priorities when creating a center.

    “We try to install these DRCs in locations that are well known to community members,” Brewer said. “We’re trying to make this as convenient as possible. I can’t stress that enough.”

    Where are Tennessee’s disaster recovery centers located?

    Tennessee has five designated centers where FEMA support is offered, according to the agency’s online site. disaster recovery center locator:

    • Carter County: 1745 Highway 19 E., Elizabethton, TN 37643
    • Cocke County: 466 Learning Road, Newport, TN 37821
    • Greene County: 204 N. Cutler St., Greeneville, TN 37745
    • Hamblen County: 441 W. Main St., Morristown, TN 37814
    • Unicoi County: 615 S. Main Ave., Erwin, TN 37650

    Greene, Hamblen and Unicoi counties have disaster recovery centers, while Carter and Cocke counties have state-established multi-agency resource centers with FEMA personnel present. FEMA plans to establish additional disaster recovery centers in Tennessee, Brewer said.

    Some FEMA agents went door to door to offer assistance with requests and set up shop in places that naturally became community centers in Helen’s wake, such as Fender’s Farm in Washington County, Brewer said.

    In addition to in-person opportunities, Tennesseans recovering from Hurricane Helene can apply for FEMA assistance online at: DisasterAssistance.gov or in the FEMA Application. There is also the helpline: 800-621-3362.

    Dec. 2 is the deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance, according to a FEMA news release. As of October 25, the federal government has provided Tennesseans affected by Hurricane Helene with more than $15 million in FEMA funds for housing and other assistance, Brewer told Knox News.

    Hayden Dunbar is the story-telling journalist. Email [email protected].

    Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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