WAYCROSS — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) have set up a temporary disaster relief center at the Ware County Administration Building, 305 Oak Street.
The center is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day through Saturday November 2, “Folks who are affected by the storm can come in register for assistance or they can check the status of their case,” said FEMA Media Specialist Deanne Swain, “If they need to provide information and didn’t have a way to upload it to the system, they can bring that in as well.”
Swain also reminded people who received denial letters to be sure to read the document carefully in its entirety.
“If you get a letter from FEMA saying they need something from you, please read it very, very carefully,” she said. “Often, it’s just a request that we need more information and to update your file. It’s not necessarily that you’re not going to get assistance. Read it, call, come in, we’re hear to help you.” The SBA also is represented at the DRC.
“We provide low interest loans to homeowners, renters and businesses,” said SBA representative Jackie Flynn. “That includes non-profits. There’s a lot of churches here. We’ve had a number of pastors come in need of help rebuilding their structure. For non-profits, the rate is only 3.25%.”
Rates for homeowners can be as low as 2.813% according to Flynn, and for businesses as low as 4%.
The low interest rate loans are part of the SBA’s disaster relief programs and are designed to be used to repair and replace items damaged in the storm.
“On our loans, no interest is due for 12 months, and there is no payment due for 12 months,” said Flynn. “There is no prepayment penalty.
