NJ Adds Additional Disaster Recovery Centers

TRENTON – Anyone affected by Hurricane Sandy can now visit newly opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Cape May, Ocean, and Union Counties if they have questions about recovery programs. There are now 30 DRCs open daily. The center in Bay Head will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the curfew there remains in effect. All others are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All DRCs in New Jersey will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22; they will reopen on Fri., Nov. 23, with a permanent change in hours to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Before going to a DRC, it is helpful to register with FEMA. Apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by a web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
At DRCs visitors can speak one-on-one to recovery representatives. FEMA program specialists provide registration and other information, and answer questions. FEMA mitigation specialists provide guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.
In addition to FEMA program specialists, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) customer service representatives are available to answer questions about the SBA low-interest disaster loan program, and to assist with disaster loan applications.
The new DRC locations are:
Cape May County: Ocean City Community Center, 1735 Simpson Ave., Ocean City, NJ 08226.
Ocean County: Old Township Building, 775 East Bay Ave., Stafford, NJ 08050.
Union County: Plainfield Senior Citizen’s Service Center, 400 E. Front St., Plainfield, NJ 07060.
DRC locations change frequently. Updates can be found online at http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. An alternative site is www.fema.gov; search DRC Locator.
An applicant may go to any DRC, even if it is located in another county or state but it is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance. Once an application has been made, a FEMA registration number is assigned that can be accessed nationally.
The following is a list of DRC locations in New Jersey:
Atlantic County: Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Convention Blvd., Room 201, Atlantic City, NJ 08401.
Bergen County: Bergen County Plaza, 1 Bergen Plaza, 4th Floor Hackensack, NJ 07652.
Burlington County: Burlington Center Mall, 2501 Burlington – Mount Holly Road, Suite 215, Burlington, NJ 08016.
Camden County: Public Works Building, 2311 Egg Harbor Road, Lindenwold, NJ 08021.
Cape May County: Cape May Courthouse Public Library, 30 Mechanics St., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210.
Cumberland County: Emergency Management Agency Office, 637 Bridgeton Ave., Lower Level, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.
Essex County: Willing Heart Community Care Center, 555 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Newark, NJ 07103.
Gloucester County: Government Services Building, 1200 North Delsea Drive, Clayton, NJ 08312.
Hudson County: Adjacent to Office Depot, 59 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030.
Hudson County: Jersey City Museum, 350 Montgomery St., Jersey City, NJ 07302.
Hunterdon County: Hunterdon County Department of Public Safety Annex, 77 Park Ave., Flemington, NJ 08822.
Mercer County: Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550.
Middlesex County: Sayreville Senior Center, 423 Main St., Sayreville, NJ 08872
Monmouth County: Henry Hudson Trail Activity Center, 945 Highway 36, Leonardo, NJ 07737.
Monmouth County: Municipal Building, Main St., Belmar, NJ 07719.
Monmouth County: Union Beach Municipal Building, 650 Poole Ave., Union Beach, NJ 07735.
Morris County: Morris Plains Community Center, 51 Jim Fear Drive, Morris Plains, NJ 07950.
Ocean County: Bell Crest Plaza, Store Front 4C, 953 Fischer Blvd., Toms River, NJ 08753.
Ocean County: Brick Township Civic Center, 270 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick, NJ 08723.
Passaic County: Passaic County Department of Health, 317 Pennsylvania Ave., Paterson, NJ 07503.
Salem County: Penns Grove EMS Building, 25 East Griffith St., Penns Grove, NJ 08069.
Somerset County: Somerset County Human Services, 27 Warren St., Somerville, NJ 08876.
Sussex County: Sussex County Community College, 1 College Hill Road, Newton, NJ 07860.
Union County: Chisholm School Community Center, 100 S. Springfield Ave., Springfield, NJ 07081.
Warren County: Franklin Township Municipal Building, 2093 Route 57, Broadway, NJ 08808.
In addition to the DRCs, there are also SBA Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) for business customers. SBA customer service representatives are available at BRCs to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance for business losses.
Until further notice, the Cape May County BRC is located at Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, 13 Crest Haven Road, Cape May. Hours: Mon – Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
All BRCs will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov.22.
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.