FEMA opens disaster recovery center in Mims to help people affected by Hurricane Ian

A Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery center opened Friday in Mims to help Brevard County residents who suffered losses and damage as a result of Hurricane Ian.

The center is located at the Cuyler Community Building, 2331 Harry T. Moore Ave. Its hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Brevard County officials said the Mims location was selected because the majority of damage due to Hurricane Ian is in the north area of the county.

Ian passed through Brevard County on Sept. 29 as a tropical storm with sustained winds of about 65 mph.

Neighborhood outreach: FEMA disaster assistance teams begin outreach to neighborhoods impacted by Hurricane Ian

Impacts of flooding: Severe flooding of St. Johns River post-Hurricane Ian keeps some businesses shut down  

FEMA help: Brevard residents with Hurricane Ian damage can apply for assistance 

Representatives from FEMA, the state of Florida, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other entities will be at the Mims center to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans.

They also can help people apply for federal disaster assistance.

Ruby Schlegel hadn't heard of the FEMA recovery center opening in Mims on Friday, and stumbled onto it by chance. After losing her trailer and many of her belongings to flooding from Ian, she and her two children needed help picking up the pieces.

Wearing a family member's clothes because all of hers were lost in the storm, she described the experience of applying for assistance as efficient, easy and friendly, saying how thankful she was for those working at the recovery center.

"I almost didn't come because there are so many places that got hit harder than us. I felt like, they need it more," Schlegel said. "My trailer was completely flooded. My boys and I lost everything."

"I've always taught them that material things are nice to have, but the most important thing is we have each other," she said of helping her 11- and 9-year-old sons deal with the loss.

Jann Tracey, spokeswoman for FEMA, said the turnout for the recovery assistance was positive for a weekday morning on the first day.

"We've had very good response for the very first day. We've been trying to get the word out that it's here in Brevard County," she said.

Most of all, the center has been helping people get connected with financial assistance and other help they may need after the devastating effects of the storm, Tracey said.

Many people may need help with their rental property or being placed into a hotel while they look for permanent housing.

"Basically, what FEMA does is we help them get started with the process of recovery. We can't cover everything and all the damage people have, but we can help jump-start their recovery," Tracey said. "We give them a boost in the right direction."

FEMA has 15 other disaster recovery centers open throughout Florida, with two in hard-hit Lee County. It hopes to open at least one in all 26 Florida counties where residents are eligible for individual assistance for storm-related losses.

If possible, residents should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center. To register, go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.

Help is available in multiple languages, and phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

Residents should have this information to apply online or in-person at the disaster recovery center:

• Contact Information (telephone number, mailing address, Social Security number).

• Household income.

• Address of damaged home or apartment.

• Description of damage/lost items.

• Photos of damaged home and belongings.

• Information about insurance coverage.

• Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.

• Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service also can call 800-621-3362.

• People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY can call 800-462-7585.

All disaster recovery centers are accessible and are equipped with tools to accommodate people who need disability-related communication aids.

Visiting with a recovery specialist is not a requirement for people who want disaster assistance. But the centers are a way for people to get answers to their questions about disaster aid and registration assistance.

These services may include:

• Status of FEMA application.

• Disaster recovery guidance.

• Clarification of any written correspondence received.

• Housing assistance and rental resources information.

• Answers to questions, resolutions to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance.

There are several ways to apply FEMA individual assistance, including:

• Online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

• Downloading the FEMA App for mobile devices.

• Calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

As of Friday, 5,929 Brevard residents have registered for FEMA individual assistance, and about $1.77 million in grants have been approved.

The 26 Florida counties eligible for FEMA individual assistance are Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia.

Brevard was approved for individual assistance on Oct. 11.

Statewide, there have been 250,742 applications for individual assistance approved, with more than $564 million in assistance approved.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bydaveberman.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: FEMA Hurricane Ian disaster recovery center opens in Mims