Resource centers for Southeast Missouri flood victims open

The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Piedmont, Mo., today.

In a separate move, southeast community organizations are opening one-stop centers in Marble Hill, Mo., and Delta, Mo., on Wednesday and Thursday for flood victims.

FEMA will accept applications from individuals and businesses that suffered damages in torrential rains of March 18 and subsequent flooding.

Only individuals and businesses located in the 19 counties designated so far as disaster areas are eligible for the help, which can include grants for emergency shelter and supplies as well as loans to repair and replace damaged or destroyed property.

Piedmont, Mo., in western Wayne County, was one of the hardest-hit towns in the path of the storm, which dumped up to 13 inches of rain across a large swath of Southern Missouri. Along with Wayne County, residents of Bollinger, Iron, Reynolds and Carter counties, all adjacent to Wayne County, are eligible for the disaster help.

The disaster center brings representatives of state and federal emergency agencies, including FEMA, SEMA and the Small Business Administration, together under one roof, said Jack Heesch, a spokesman for FEMA's teams evaluating disaster damage in Southeast Missouri.

Disaster loans from the SBA can provide up $200,000 for homeowners to replace or repair damaged or destroyed real estate, up to $40,000 to homeowners and renters to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including automobiles, and an additional 20 percent for construction that would mitigate or prevent future flood damage.

For businesses, the loans can provide up to $1.5 million to repair or replace damaged property, machinery or inventory and an additional loan of up to $1.5 million for economic hardships imposed on a business by the disaster.

All loans carry terms of up to 30 years and interest rates substantially below market rates.

Whether additional disaster recovery centers will be established in other counties will depend on whether additional counties are added to the disaster declaration, Heesch said. All of the teams reviewing damage to private property have completed their reports and a decision should be coming within a few days, he said.

To contact FEMA about disaster assistance, call 800-621-3362 or visit the agency Web site at www.fema.gov.

The Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) for Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Bollinger counties is opening two Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC), one on Wednesday in Marble Hill, the other in Delta, on Thursday.

The MARC is a one-stop resource for flood victims to meet with representatives of community disaster relief agencies and register for emergency assistance. It is also a way to let community organizations know where people need help.

The two MARCs will be open from noon until 8 p.m. at the following locations:

Wednesday: Baptist Church Family Life Center, 502 Broadway, Marble Hill.

Thursday: Delta Community Center, 211 East Street, Delta.

The four-county COAD is composed of representatives from public, private and not-for-profit agencies involved in community disaster relief.

Residents should bring identification with them that shows their address in the flooded areas. Dumpsters will be at each location for the day for disaster victims to use.

For more information about the MARCs, call Nancy Jernigan, Executive Director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri at 573-334-9634 or e-mail nancy.jernigan@unitedwayofsemo.org.

For updates, check back at www.semissourian.com or read Tuesday's Southeast Missourian.