A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open in Wilton on Thursday, Oct. 3. The DRC will be located at Our Lady of Fatima Church (229 Danbury Rd.).
The DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between the state of Connecticut and FEMA, will help survivors impacted by the Aug. 18-19 severe storm, flooding, landslides, and mudslides apply for FEMA assistance, upload documents needed for their application and get their questions answered in person.
Wilton was selected as the one location for a Fairfield County DRC.
“I think it’s good that we have the center here in town,” Emergency Management Director/Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield said. “Wilton saw a substantial number of submissions” and reports of impact from the flooding, “ranging from major damage to minor to affected,” he said, adding that no one in Wilton reported anything in FEMA’s fourth category of “totally destroyed.”
Blanchfield said that last week, FEMA established Business Response Centers — one each in Fairfield County (Monroe) and New Haven County (Oxford), the two counties that were impacted significantly by the storm. Thursday’s opening of the DRC is meant to assist individuals who need to apply for aid and assistance.
Representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be on hand at the center to provide program information and explain how to apply for SBA’s low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, businesses, private nonprofits, and renters, and provide printed information about repairs and rebuilding to make homes more disaster resistant.
The center is accessible to people with disabilities and access and functional needs. The facility is equipped with assistive technology equipment that allows disaster survivors to interact with staff. Services are provided in English and Spanish. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation or a sign language interpreter to communicate with FEMA can call 833.285.7448. For Spanish, press option 2.
Survivors don’t need to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to apply for FEMA assistance. To apply without visiting a center, visit the Disaster Assistance website, download the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800.621.3362. Anyone who uses a relay service such as video relay service, captioned telephone service or others can provide their number for that service to FEMA when they apply.
The Wilton DRC will be open at the following times:
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
According to FEMA, disaster recovery centers are typically available and open for 30-60 days after a disaster declaration.
This story was updated to include information about how long the DRC will be open in Wilton as well as whether there were any other DRC’s located in Fairfield County.