FEMA Adjusts Services for Labor Day, September 2

Cape Girardeau, MO - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster operation in Missouri is making service adjustments in observance of the upcoming Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.

Disaster Recovery Centers:

• Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Sikeston and Doniphan will be closed on Labor Day. The centers already are closed on Sundays. Both DRCs will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and resume operating hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Fri.; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
• The Sikeston DRC is located at the YMCA, 511 Taylor Street in Sikeston.
• The Doniphan DRC is located at 209 West Highway St. Doniphan.
• The Disaster Recovery Center in Dexter at the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission building, 105 E North Main Street closes permanentlyat 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30.

FEMA Housing Inspections:

• FEMA inspections of storm-damaged properties that have already been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 2 at the request of the applicantwill take place.
• FEMA inspectors will not be calling to schedule inspections for Monday, Sept. 2.
• FEMA inspectors also will not be making phone calls on Monday to schedule inspections for a later date. Those calls will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

FEMA Registrations:

• There are just three weeks left to apply for FEMA Assistance. Deadline is Sept. 23.
• Anyone who was impacted by the May 19-27 severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding living in one of 10 Missouri counties is eligible to apply for FEMA assistance.
• The 10 counties are: Barry, Butler, Carter, Howell, New Madrid, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Texas.
• Labor Day will not affect a person's ability to apply for FEMA. There are 3 ways to apply:
  • Online at www.disasterassistance.gov
  • Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
  • Download the FEMA App and apply using a mobile device.
  • Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. For an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI.
• FEMA assistance for individuals and households is in the form of grants that can help pay for eligible, disaster-related costs associated with a temporary place to stay, minimal home repairs and/or other serious needs not covered by insurance or other programs. The grants also can pay for features to help persons with a disability to repair or improve accessibility to their houses.

FEMA Helpline:

• FEMA has a toll-free Helpline available to provide disaster survivors the ability to call agency representatives directly to register for assistance, update the contact information for an existing application and/or ask questions about their cases.
• Helpline Number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT
• The FEMA Helpline will operate on Labor Day during its regular business hours and can take new applications.
• Disaster case specialists will not work on existing applications on Labor Day. That work will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

For more disaster-related information, visit the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency online at www.sema.dps.mo.gov or FEMA at www.fema.gov and www.fema.gov/disaster/4803.