FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to open in Chesterfield Township
A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center will open in Chesterfield Township Friday morning to help Macomb County residents kick-start their recovery after last August’s severe storms, tornadoes and flooding.
The center will open at 8 a.m. at the Chesterfield Township Fire Department Central Station, located at 33991 23 Mile Road, just west of Baker Road. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday until further notice.
Specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration at the center can help those affected apply for federal disaster assistance, upload documents, learn about ways to make their property more disaster resistant and get their questions answered in person.
The deadline to apply for assistance is April 8.
Assistance from FEMA can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the August 2023 storms do not need to visit a Disaster Recovery Center to apply for FEMA assistance. To put in for help without visiting a center, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-6213362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., go to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA App. Those who use a relay service such as video relay service or captioned telephone service should give FEMA the number for that service when applying.
The SBA is also taking applications for assistance at 800-659-2955 and SBA. gov.
New Baltimore Mayor Tom Semaan said on Wednesday FEMA representatives were out over the weekend knocking on doors
in areas that saw significant flooding in late August.
“But it doesn’t mean that every homeowner would’ve been notified,” he added. “We’re using every form of media possible to get the word out to the residents of our community.”
Semaan said he has heard positive feedback from citizens who have gone through the application process.
“I can assure you they’re not here to deny you if you qualify,” the mayor said. “I’ve been hearing some very positive feedback from people who did not anticipate whatsoever that they would get any type of relief and they are. So I am very grateful that we went through the pains of the process of applying through this and that it is benefitting our community.”
Disaster Recovery Center locations are chosen for their accessibility, with the goal of reaching as many people as possible, according to FEMA. Accessible parking spaces are available. Assistance in languages other than English, including American Sign Language, and translated materials are available at the centers.
FEMA also opened a Disaster Recovery Center on Thursday in Ingham County at the Northeast Ingham Emergency Services Authority on West Grand River Avenue in Williamston.
Additional recovery centers are expected to open soon.
Communities were pelted with several inches of rain during a short amount of time in late August 2023, resulting in flooding that left local roads under water and homes damaged. Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore both declared a local state of emergency after the storms.
“Our community, along with quite a few other communities across the state, experienced some tremendous rainfall and unusual flooding, which caused a tremendous amount of homeowner damage,” the New Baltimore mayor said.
President Joe Biden earlier this month approved Michigan’s request for a disaster declaration in Macomb County and eight other counties across the state as a result of the heavy storms last summer, unlocking assistance for affected citizens. In addition to Macomb County, the declaration opened the path to federal assistance for residents of Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne counties.
The fire station is located at 33991 23 Mile Road in Chesterfield Township.
For more information about the disaster recovery operation in Michigan, visit fema.gov/disaster/4757.