Disaster Relief Sites Now Open for Storm Damage Assistance

As of February 10, residents and businesses who suffered damages from the recent storms have the choice of two Disaster Relief Centers to visit in the county, where federal, state, and local agencies will have representatives on hand to help with paperwork. 

But they'll only be open for a few weeks, until about February 24, so visit soon if you need assistance. That's according to Mallory De Lauro, district chief of staff to Congressman Eric Swalwell, who represents Castro Valley as part of the 14th District.

The deadline for FEMA assistance is March 16, though one can add required additional information after one has applied on time, De Lauro said.  

The locations and other information about getting assistance were given at a community meeting called by Swalwell at the Shannon Community Center in Dublin last Thursday, February 9.

Relief centers have been opened at 7001 Oakport Street in Oakland, near the Coliseum, and at 4825 Gleason Drive, off Tassajara Road in Dublin, at the county Public Works office.

Information is available on all aspects of recovering from the storms, including eligibility for grants and loans to repair damage and social service assistance if the storm affected such basic needs as housing.

Officials from federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) will be there, along with state disaster-relief agencies and county social services eligibility workers. 

Many people don't realize how closely FEMA and the SBA work together in a disaster, said Jessica Gail, Swalwell's communications director. SBA offers low-interest loans not only to small businesses but to nonprofits, homeowners, and renters who have suffered damages from disasters.

Those low-interest loans can come in very handy if insurance covers much of your loss, but there's a big deductible involved, said De Lauro.

The Sheriff's Office and Swalwell's office suggested an in-person visit rather than trying to navigate applications from multiple offices over the Internet. 

"You'll get a quick answer to the question many people ask, 'Do I qualify for any help at all?'" Gail said.

A frequent complaint heard in past disasters is that people seemingly never heard back after applying to FEMA, Gail said. This is usually because something was left off the form, stalling processing but not triggering a quick notification to the applicant.

An in-person visit means you get a quick notification of anything additional needed while the application is accepted on time, said Gail. You can add the additional information later if need be.

It also saves you the frustration of being told a different agency handles your particular situation and then struggling to contact them, she added. 

"‘They're at that table over there' is so much easier," Gail said.

"There's something for everyone there," said Lt. Tya Modeste of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office about the centers. "They're set up to help people."

Applying in person can be less intimidating for many than applying over the internet, Modeste added.

She notes that the emergency disaster declaration covers all of Alameda County, including people living in its cities.

Modeste said a pitfall to avoid is not notifying aid agencies if your phone number changes, which can happen after a disaster.

Swalwell's office suggests that people visiting the centers bring with them information such as their phone number, especially if it has changed, current and pre-disaster address, total household annual income, Social Security number, list of damages and losses (including any documentation), insurance coverage information if insured (FEMA covers only what your insurance doesn't), and bank routing number and account number to allow for direct deposit of any aid received.