Smith County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opens in Tyler

UPDATE: A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened for Smith County on Saturday, June 22 at the R.B. Hubbard Center (The Hub) at 304 E. Ferguson St. in Tyler.

SMITH COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Staff from the Small Business Administration, Lone Star Legal and Crisis Response Ministries will also be at the center along with FEMA to help residents, according to Smith County officials.

“We are here, we are your one-stop shop to come out and see how we might be able to assist you, we are trying to meet the survivor where they are in their situation,” said Nikki Gaskins Campbell, FEMA media relations specialist.

“If you’re uninsured or underinsured, please still reach out to us because you could be leaving money on the table and this is grant money from FEMA that does not have to be repaid,” said Campbell.

SMITH COUNTY – As FEMA personnel go door to door helping residents assess damage and apply for potential benefits, Smith County said they are working with them to open a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) where people will be able to register in person.

According to a release, Smith County officials will soon announce when the FEMA recovery center will open at The Hub to assist people with registering for resources.

“Recovery will take some time due to personnel constraints and the amount of debris accumulated,” Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said. “Citizens with damaged homes are encouraged to participate with FEMA personnel to apply for potential assistance.”

During Smith County commissioners court on Tuesday, the FEMA DRC was approved to be held at The Hub which is located next door to the elections office.

Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said FEMA was looking for a location to host a DRC to allow Smith County citizens to access information and apply for benefits.
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“It’ll be a good spot for that, for people. We have plenty of parking. Operating hours in this are to be between 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. seven days a week,” Franklin said. “It becomes effective upon execution of this contract and expires no later than Aug. 15, we’re just not sure how long this will take.”

Since storms that began over a month ago, many East Texans experienced property damage and debris. Recovery efforts continue with the help of volunteer groups and emergency personnel.

According to FEMA, the last day to apply for assistance for storms that occurred between April 26 and June 5 is July 16.

To contact the FEMA helpline, people can call 800-621-3362 or visit their website.