Politics & Government
Two Additional Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Ocean County
Harvey Cedars and Little Egg Harbor newly opened
Those affected by Hurricane Sandy can now visit two newly opened Disaster Recovery Centers in Ocean County, according to the Governor's office.
The centers are located on Long Beach Island in Harvey Cedars and Little Egg Harbor Township.
There are now 33 DRCs open daily. All are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of Bay Head, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while a curfew remains in effect.
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The DRCs allow residents to speak one on one to recovery representatives, and have questions answered about recovery programs.
FEMA program specialists also provide registration and other information. These include mitigation specialists who can provide guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.
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In addition to FEMA program specialists, customer service representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to answer questions about the SBA low-interest disaster loan program, and to assist with disaster loan applications.
It is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance.
Individuals can register for assistance and follow up on previous applications by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. By phone or 711/VRS, residents may call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585.
The new DRCs are located at:
Little Egg Harbor Senior Center Harvey Cedars Bible Conference Center
641 Radio Road 12 Cedars Ave.
Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08087 Harvey Cedars, NJ 08008 (Long Beach Island)
DRC locations change frequently. The closest open offices can be found online at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. An alternative is to go to www.fema.gov and search for DRC Locator. You may also text DRC and a ZIP codeto 43362 (4FEMA) For example, if you lived in Atlantic City, you would text: DRC 08401.An applicant may go to any DRC, even if it is located in another county or state.
Once an application has been made, a FEMA registration number is assigned. It can be accessed nationally.
Other area DRCs located in the shore region include:
Monmouth County
Henry Hudson Trail Activity Center
945 Highway 36
Leonardo, NJ 07737
Union Beach Municipal Building
650 Poole Ave.
Union Beach, NJ 07735
Belmar Municipal Building
601 Main St.
Belmar, NJ
Ocean County
Bell Crest Plaza
Store Front 4C
953 Fischer Blvd.
Toms River, NJ 08753
Brick Township Civic Center
270 Chambers Bridge Road
Brick, NJ 08723
In addition to the DRCs, there are also SBA Business Recovery Centers to serve business customers. SBA Customer Service Representatives are available at BRCs to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance for losses. They are at the following locations, until further notice:
Monmouth County
Brookdale Community College
765 Newman Springs Road
Bankier Library, Room 246 (SBDC)
Lincroft, NJ 07738
Hours: Mon- Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ocean County
Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce
Stafford Heritage Park Train Station and Rail Car
(Across from Manahawkin Lake between Route 9 and Route 72)
West Bay Ave.
Manahawkin, NJ 08050
Hours: Mon– Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
All SBA centers will be closed on Friday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 25. They will reopen with normal hours on Monday, Nov.26.
Renters, homeowners and businesses that do not need one-on-one assistance do not need to visit a center. They can apply for an SBA disaster loan online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
