CORYDON, Ind. (WHAS11) -- FEMA has set up a "roving" disaster recovery center (DRC) in Corydon, Indiana, to assist those affected by February's flooding.
The DRC, which is at the Harrison County Government Building (245 Atwood Street, Corydon, Indiana 47112) will be open for the next three days before it moves to another location.
It has been three months since flooding devastated parts of Kentuckiana along the Ohio River, putting many neighborhoods under water. While many people have now moved back into their homes and businesses, the recovery is not yet finished for many communities.
"Everything is held back by the part that hasn't recovered yet, so everything has to recover, all the different parts of the community," Q Mackey, with the Small Business Administration Disaster Relief, said.
FEMA is now lending a hand, arriving after a lengthy process that involved both local and state governments appealing for assistance in the weeks following the floods.
"There is a process there that they have to go through to determine which counties have enough damage to qualify for the federal government to step in and help," FEMA spokesperson Jann Tracey said. "So that took a few weeks."
FEMA is lending assistance in nine Indiana counties, including four in Southern Indiana. FEMA has established a disaster recovery center in Utica, which opened this past Sunday. FEMA workers are stationed at the DRCs to register people for assistance and to help them file for federal aid.
"FEMA always tries to reach out to people, find people who need assistance, and this is one way to take our assistance to the people who need it most," Tracey said.
According to Tracey, even people who may have fixed up their homes and businesses should still register to apply for aid. She said much of their assistance is retroactive, meaning people can recoup damages caused by the floods.
"If the homeowner, for example, has pictures, photos, receipts or receipts perhaps for hotels they stayed in, those are all things that they may qualify for reimbursement," she said.
If people do not qualify for FEMA aid, they could still be eligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance, which contrary to its name, is not just for small businesses.
"Our disaster assistance is available to, of course, small businesses, but also to homeowners, to renters and to most private nonprofits as well," Mackey said.
People can register for FEMA aid in person at a DRC, online at their website or by phone at 800-621-3362.
For more information on SBA disaster assistance and SBA loans, visit their website or call 800-659-2955.