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FEMA disaster recovery center opening in Mansfield to handle storm damage claims
Bear Creek Marina
Trees are shown toppled near Bear Creek Marina following the Jan. 12 tornadoes in the Stewart area of south Newton County. (Special | Don Wright)

ATLANTA – A federal disaster recovery center is set to open Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the Mansfield area of Jasper County to provide one-on-one assistance to people directly affected by the Jan. 12 severe storms, straight line winds and tornadoes.

Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide information on available services, explain assistance programs and help survivors complete or check the status of their applications, a news release stated.

The disaster recovery center location is:

New Rocky Creek Baptist Church

190 Rocky Creek Road

Mansfield, GA 30055

Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Saturday.

People directly affected by the severe storms may visit the recovery center, apply with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.

For needs directly related to the Jan.12 weather systems, FEMA may be able to provide individual assistance grant money that does not have to be repaid for:

• Rental assistance for those needing to relocate because of storm-related damage;

• Personal property that was damaged or destroyed by the Jan. 12 weather events;

• Lodging reimbursement for those having to stay in a hotel temporarily;

• Basic home repairs for homeowners whose primary residence was damaged by the Jan. 12 weather events;

• Other serious needs caused by the recent storms.

In addition to the assistance listed, FEMA is asking the public to note the following:

• Only one application per household;

• FEMA does not pay for lost or spoiled food.

By law, FEMA is not allowed to duplicate insurance payments or assistance provided by other sources, the release stated.

Anyone registering with FEMA may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster loan. SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to help businesses, homeowners and renters recover from declared disasters. 

"Submitting a low-interest loan application is an important step in the recovery process. There is no obligation to take the loan, if offered. Residents who are not approved may be referred for additional grant consideration," the release stated.

Additional disaster recovery centers are expected to be announced soon.

For information on Georgia’s disaster recovery visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4685; or on Twitter at Twitter.com/FEMAregion4.