Disaster Recovery Center closes

By Chad Ruiz
St. Tammany News
Published on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 11:23 AM CDT

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

The only FEMA Disaster Recovery Center open in St. Tammany Parish is now closed.

Since opening the DRC in the Mandeville Public Works building thanks to hurricane’s Gustav and Ike, FEMA Public Affairs Officer Jack Heesch said the center only received about 15 to 20 people per day, which ultimately resulted in its closing Monday.

Heesch said the center is now a Small Business Administration loan outreach center for anyone needing assistance with rebuilding their business.

Currently, there are no other DRCs in operation in St. Tammany.

Heesch and Dexter Accardo with the parish’s Homeland Security and Emergency Operations Center said they received word from FEMA of a new location possibility opening in Slidell sometime in the future, but as of late, no further details could be obtained.

There was little demand for the Mandeville location, Accardo said, which is part of the problem with opening another center.

However, Heesch said the majority of applications filed with FEMA online have been from the Slidell area. The DRC in Mandeville contained several governing entities to help with disaster assistance, including FEMA personnel to help with the application process and eligibility requirements. Operation Blue Roof and SBA personnel were also on hand.

Although the DRC is closed, residents can still apply for assistance online at www.fema.org.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

1 comment(s)

Evan wrote on Oct 2, 2008 3:30 PM:

" Thats kind of refreshing to hear. We all know how wealthy most people in Mandeville are- its good to see that they aren't using the system when they have the money themselves. Most of them vote for people who don't support public assistance, so it's good to see they stay true to their ideology. "

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.