A mobile Disaster Recovery Center will open Monday, May 11 to serve Allen County residents and business owners who sustained losses or damage as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding March 8 - 14, according to state and federal disaster officials.

The Allen County center will be at the Sears Pavilion at Foster Park, 1701 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne.  It will be open for four days, from Noon to 7 p.m. on Monday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

Applicants can meet face-to-face with disaster recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and other agencies who will answer questions and provide recovery information.

Disaster victims are urged to register for assistance before visiting a DRC. Residents and business owners may register on line at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1 800 462 7585 for those who are speech- or hearing-impaired. The FEMA registration/helpline numbers are operational everyday from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. (EDT), seven days a week.

Once applicants have registered, FEMA recovery specialists at the recovery centers can check the status of their application, answer questions about an application, or identify information FEMA needs to continue processing the application. Recovery specialists also can supply contact information for other programs that may be able to help.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations. These loans are to repair or replace homes or personal property and to assist businesses recover from the severe storms and flooding.

Anyone not able to visit a DRC should call the SBA Customer Service Center from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. (EDT) Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (EDT), Saturday, at 1-800-659-2955 for information and assistance.  Victims may apply online at http://disasterloans.sba.gov/ela/. Applicants also may visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov or by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .