In-person disaster assistance offices open in Virginia and Cook

REGIONAL- A double dose of good news was forthcoming this week for Cook and St. Louis County residents and business owners who sustained damage during severe storms and flooding that occurred June 16 through July 4, as in-person centers for disaster assistance opened in both Virginia and Cook.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) today (Friday) at the St. Louis County Public Works facility in Virginia, 7823 Highway 135. The DRC will be open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., with all appointments on a first-come, first-served basis. get in-person help with navigating the process of applying for federal assistance.

Federal financial assistance is available for eligible homeowners and renters in the form of grants to cover costs of temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals recover from the effects of the disaster. 

The DRC is staffed by FEMA representatives, as well as others from the state of Minnesota and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). People will be able to get help applying for federal disaster assistance, upload documents, get their questions answered in person, access other types of help that may be available and learn ways to make their property more disaster resistant.

"Having a physical location for people to get help from trained professionals is a great resource for our residents," said St. Louis County Commissioner Paul McDonald, whose district was hardest hit by the June 18 storm. "Having all three agencies in one place is especially helpful because it functions like a triage. For instance, a person may not be eligible for a particular type of assistance but can immediately be referred to other programs for which they do qualify."

Of additional interest to business owners, the SBA opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) earlier this week at the Cook Fire/Ambulance Hall, 111 Second St. SE in Cook. The BRC is open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

SBA staff at the BRC in Cook will help business owners complete disaster loan applications, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-in appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis, or people can schedule an in-person appointment through the SBA website at appointment.sba.gov.

Both of the staffed sites will remain open until further notice. Federal financial assistance is available to private property owners because the June flood event is now a Presidentially declared disaster.