FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	NOVEMBER 1, 2005
Contact	FEMA/Florida News Desk: (407) 858-6207 State EOC Public Information: (850) 921-0384 SBA News Desk: (404) 347-3771

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Palm Beach, Monroe Counties

~ More than 8,000 already served by FEMA recovery efforts ~

ORLANDO, Fla - Two new Disaster Recovery Centers serving Palm Beach County and one serving Monroe County have opened to help residents who sustained damage from Hurricane Wilma, according to the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Florida State Emergency Response Team (SERT).

Disaster Recovery Centers offer information. No cash, checks, debit cards or vouchers are distributed at Disaster Recovery Centers. For distribution sites where water, ice, meals, and other supplies are available, please contact county emergency management officials for locations and hours.

The new Disaster Recovery Center addresses are:

• Palm Beach County
  Pahokee Rec Center
  360 East Main St.
  Pahokee, FL 33476
• Palm Beach County
  Sugar Sand Park
  300 South Military
  Trail Boca Raton, FL 33486
• Monroe County
  Habitat for Humanity
  Mile Marker 30.3 Oceanside
  Big Pine Key, FL 33043

All centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. The centers provide a single location where people are able to talk face-to-face with disaster recovery specialists. Disaster Recovery Centers offer many types of recovery information. Additional Disaster Recovery Center locations are:

• St. Lucie County
  St. Lucie Civic Center
  2300 Virginia Ave.
  Fort Pierce, FL 34982
• Glades County
  Agriculture Building
  900 U.S. Hwy. 27
  Moorehaven, FL 33471
  *New address effective close-of-business 10/30/05
• Martin County
  Indiantown Library
  15200 SW Adams Ave.
• Indiantown, FL 34956
• Hendry County
  Wal-Mart Parking Lot
  1005 W. Sugarland Hwy.
  (Hwy. 27)
  Clewiston, FL 33440
• Martin County
  Martin County Fairgrounds
  2616 SE Dixie Highway
  Stuart, FL 34996
• Collier County
  Everglades City Community Center
  201 Buckner Ave.
  Everglades City, FL 34139
• Monroe County
  Key West City Hall
  604 Simonton St.
  Key West, FL 33040
• Monroe County
  San Pablo Church
  550 122nd St. Ocean
  Marathon, FL 33050
• Monroe County
  San Pedro Church
  89500 Overseas Highway
  Plantation Key, FL 33070
• Lee County
  Bonita Springs Community Center
  27381 Old U.S. 41 Road (
  Old U.S. 41 Rd. & Reynolds St.)
  Bonita Springs, FL 3413

Representatives from local, state and federal agencies, and voluntary organizations, will staff the Disaster Recovery Centers. At the centers, visitors can:

• Receive information about different types of state and federal disaster assistance.
• Get help completing low-interest loan applications from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters or business owners.
• Inquire about the status of their application for federal assistance.
• Receive referrals to American Red Cross and other voluntary organizations to help with immediate unmet needs.
• Learn cost-effective measures to reduce the impact of future disaster losses.

To apply for federal disaster assistance, residents must first register with FEMA. There are two ways to register: log on to www.fema.gov or call FEMA's toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairment. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, minor home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also are available for residential and business losses not covered by insurance.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida's state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT's mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. For more information visit www.fema.gov.

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