FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Center in Sumter

A joint press release from the Sumter Police Department and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be opening a Disaster Recovery Center at the Sumter County Civic Center, at 700 W. Liberty St. in Sumter, beginning at 1 p.m. today.

The center will be staffed by representatives from FEMA to assist area residents impacted by the recent flooding in applying for various financial assistance programs.

Sumter County is part of a group of 16 counties in South Carolina currently eligible to apply for individual assistance.

The assistance can include money for temporary rental assistance and essential home repairs for primary homes, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help survivors recover from the effects of the disaster.

Area residents impacted by the flood can also begin the assistance process by registering online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling (800)621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing should call (800) 462-7585 (TTY); those who use Video Relay Service may call (800) 621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Subcontractors with FEMA are already in Sumter County performing inspections and assessments, as well as processing applications that have either been submitted to FEMA online or by phone.

According to the release, anyone representing themselves to area residents as a FEMA subcontractor should have FEMA identification credentials with an identification card that has both a FEMA seal and a code chip similar to those found in military ID's. If a Sumter County resident encounters someone who claims to represent FEMA but does not have the proper credentials, they are asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.