Disaster Recovery Center Coming to West Pasco

Officials are going to open a disaster recovery center in the New Port Richey area to aid those impacted by Tropical Storm Debby.  

In disaster recovery centers, local, state, federal and nonprofit resources are gathered under one roof to serve those in need of disaster assistance programs. County Commissioners approved an agreement Tuesday with the Federal Emergency Management Agency that paves the way for the center's establishment.

Folks who have trouble navigating the bureaucracy involved in finding and applying for aid or those who need a specific service can find help there, Pasco County Emergency Operations director Annete Doying told commissioners during Tuesday's meeting. 

“The elderly woman who needs assistance with getting the ruined carpet dragged out to the curb,” she said would be able to find assistance at the center. So, too, would those who need help with other debris removal and a myriad of other services, including help with paperwork and temporary housng assistance and aid applications.

The Pasco disaster recovery center will be located at the shopping center at 4444 Grand Avenue, at the corner of Trouble Creek Road and Grand Boulevard in the New Port Richey area.

The center will first open Thursday, officials said. Its hours will be Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

State and FEMA officials will be there, as well as the Salvation Army, Red Cross and United Way.

The County plans to have representatives from the Health Department, Building Inspection, Veterans Office, Housing Office, Utilities and other departments as needed.

Another agency that will be on hand at the center is the federal Small Business Administration. It has been working with the Pasco Economic Development Council to reach businesses that saw an interruption in service due to road conditions and also businesses that had direct damage. The SBA is also offering small business loans directly to businesses.

Pasco is one of 14 counties in Florida that has been federally declared a disaster area. The counties now under the declaration are: Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee, Union and Wakulla.

FEMA has been working on the ground in Pasco and will have an expected deployment in the area of at least 30 days.

“They are literally knocking door-to-door in the areas where the floodwaters affected neighborhoods, and they are seeking out individuals who need direct assistance,” Doying said.

Pasco has received a federal public assistance declaration, Doying said Tuesday. Local should be able to receive a “significant reimbursement“ for their costs. Pasco County has spent more than $4 million out of its own operating budget in dealing with Debby-related expenses, Doying said.

There could also be opportunities to mitigate against losses in future disasters, Doying said.

For more information about disaster recovery center, visit FEMA's website.