The final day to apply for FEMA assistance is Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006. Applications for assistance made on or before Jan. 19 will continue to be processed after the application deadline has passed. To apply for federal disaster assistance, residents must first register with FEMA. There are two ways to register: log on to
Residents with questions about their disaster assistance may still call the Helpline, at the same numbers listed above, even after the application deadline. They may also check the status of their application online.
At the peak of hurricane-relief activity, 41 Disaster Recovery Centers were operating throughout the area affected by Wilma. As of Jan. 9, DRCs had served more than 135,000 Florida residents. At their peak activity, DRCs across Florida served more than 5,000 residents in a single day. As more Floridians have received assistance -- to the tune of nearly $290 million -- the number visiting the remaining centers has diminished to a small fraction of that activity.
Although DRC operations will cease, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) workshops will continue at several former DRC locations. At the workshops, visitors can receive help in filling out disaster loan applications from the SBA. The workshops are expected to continue through the end of January and perhaps longer, if needed. The locations and hours for the SBA workshops are also noted below.
For final dates, hours and addresses of closing DRC centers and SBA workshops click here.
