After Hurricane Ian: Disaster recovery center opens in Astor in NE Lake County

Frank Stanfield
·2 min read

ASTOR – Lake County opened a disaster recovery center here on Friday in conjunction with FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

The center is at First Baptist Church of Astor, 24731 Ann St., and it will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration and state agencies will provide information about available assistance, including disaster loans. Officials will also be on hand to update applications and provide other information to businesses, homeowners, renters and nonprofits.

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Astor has been the site of major flooding from the St. Johns River due to Hurricane Ian. Water is expected to remain at flood stage level for weeks.

On Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, flooding continued to be a problem in Astor, in northeast Lake County. The St. Johns River is well above flood stage after Hurricane Ian moved through in late September.
On Monday, Oct. 10, 2022, flooding continued to be a problem in Astor, in northeast Lake County. The St. Johns River is well above flood stage after Hurricane Ian moved through in late September.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has maintained a mobile command center at the church and has ordered all public boat docks in the area to remain closed.

In-person visits are not mandatory for applicants. They can go online to disasterassistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app, or call 1-800-621-3362. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and help is available in most languages.

If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.

The facility is accessible to people with disabilities and has assistive technology equipment that allows disaster survivors to interact with staff. Service dogs are welcomed. Video Remote Interpreting is available and in-person sign language is available by request. The center also has accessible parking, ramps, and restrooms.

To receive text alerts about Hurricane Ian recovery resources, text LAKEDRC to 888777. The latest emergency updates are available at www.lakecountyfl.gov/storm.

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Astor, Florida now has a post-Hurricane Ian disaster recovery center