Detroit Evening Report: FEMA to open Disaster Recovery Center in Detroit for one day only Thursday

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration will open a Disaster Recovery Center in northwest Detroit on Thursday. 

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The location, which will be open for one day only, will allow victims of last August’s severe storms to apply for federal disaster assistance. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn how to make their properties more disaster-resilient, and to address any additional questions residents might have.

The Disaster Recovery Center will be open from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Lewis Education Center Media Lab at the Wayne County Community College District’s Northwest Campus, 8200 West Outer Dr., Detroit.

By law, FEMA can only pay for damage caused by a federally declared disaster. Every disaster is different and requires a separate application to ensure assistance flows quickly to those who need it, according to the agency.

Those affected by last August’s severe storms who are unable to visit a Disaster Recovery Center in person can apply for assistance in the following ways:

• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Use the FEMA mobile app.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

The deadline to apply for disaster assistance is Wednesday, May 8, 2024. For more information about the disaster recovery operation in Michigan, visit fema.gov/disaster.

Other headlines for Wednesday, April 3, 2024: 

• The Detroit Health Department continues to offer free health screenings for city residents during Public Health Week, with two events planned for Thursday at the Patton Recreation Center and the Detroit Health Department.
• New vehicle sales in the U.S. rose nearly 5% from January through March, as buyers stayed in the market despite high interest rates.
• Gas prices continue to rise in Metro Detroit, with the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded up to $3.58/gallon — an increase of four cents from last week.
• A conversation with civil rights activist and poet Nikki Giovanni will be available for Detroiters to watch online at 8 p.m. tonight on the PBS Books website. their digital devices tonight. PBS Books, Detroit Public Television and The Charles H-Wright Museum of African-American History are teaming up for the presentation. The conversation was recorded in March.
• And Detroit activist, poet and writer John Sinclair died on Tuesday at the age of 82.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.