Three new Disaster Recovery Centers with FEMA staff are opening in north St. Louis to assist those impacted by the May 16 tornado. This comes as the center at the Chaifetz Arena closes at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“Now that we’re coming into another phase of recovery, having them directly in the impacted areas is important, and that’s why these three new locations are very, very, very important,” Mayor Cara Spencer said at a Thursday press briefing.
One location opened Saturday at Union Tabernacle M.B. Church. One opened Thursday morning at Sumner High School, and the Urban League Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Center on Natural Bridge Road will open a center on Monday.
At all locations, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will help impacted residents with their disaster assistance applications, answer questions and upload required documents.
Spencer and FEMA staff are encouraging impacted residents to apply for FEMA aid as soon as possible. So far, $17 million of direct aid has been provided to about 3,000 people. The money can be used for hotel vouchers, replacing property and other needs.
“We’re really encouraging anybody and everybody who’s been impacted to apply to FEMA,” Spencer said. “It’s also helping us get a good handle of how many people have been impacted by the tornado.”
The city has not been able to identify the exact number of people affected by the storm, but the mayor estimates that it is in the tens of thousands.
Those impacted can apply for disaster aid online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. The deadline to apply is Aug. 11.
Willie Nunn, federal coordinating officer for FEMA, said one service residents can receive if they apply for aid is rental assistance.
“If you qualify, you’ve been displaced, please call,” Nunn said. “Tell your story, and you can ask for rental assistance.”
The mayor added that the SBA can help individuals and businesses in obtaining low-interest disaster recovery loans.
Speencer said the state has allocated $25 million in aid for uninsured and underinsured people, and it has a program that allows people to apply for deductible assistance through a state tax credit. She hopes to announce more information about how to obtain local and state aid next week, and wants to ensure that those efforts are not duplicating what FEMA is already doing.
The IRS announced Wednesday that those affected by the storm now have until Nov. 3 to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
The hours for the Disaster Recovery Centers are:
- Union Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 626 N. Newstead Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.
- Sumner High School, 4248 Cottage Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
- Urban League Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Center, 4401 Natural Bridge Ave., St. Louis, MO 63115: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
