Irene Disaster Recovery Center Opens Today

A federal/state Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for residents affected by Hurricane Irene will open in Bensalem today. It will be located at the (Route 1 and Bristol Road). It will open at 1 p.m. Thursday and remain open until 7 p.m.

On subsequent days, the DRC will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can enter the Mall at the theater entrance at the rear of Sears. There will be signs to direct them to the DRC from there.

According to a county release, various federal, state and county agencies will be on hand to provide assistance to those residents affected by Hurricane Irene. They include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Bucks County Emergency Management Agency, the Bucks County Health Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare, PennDOT, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

FEMA officials spoke at the Sept. 21 Bucks County commissioners’ meeting and reiterated their commitment to helping county residents.

“We will remain open as long as it takes,” stated FEMA operations officer Mike Sharon. 

Those with insurance are asked to contact their insurance agent and file a personal claim before contacting FEMA. Additionally, anyone planning to come to a DRC should register with FEMA first, in order to maximize the efficiency of their visit.

Online registry is available at www.disasterassistance.gov, or via web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Residents also can register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

When applying for assistance, applicants should have the following information available:

• Social Security Number (including spouse)
• Private insurance information, if available
• Address and zip code of the damaged property
• Directions to the damaged home or property
• Daytime telephone number and current mailing address