The Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC)/Local Assistance Centers (LAC) will be closing later this month in both north and south Santa Barbara County.
The last day of operation for the Center at Direct Relief in Santa Barbara will be Wednesday, Feb. 15, with a temporary closure Feb. 8 through Feb. 10.
For the Center at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, the last day of operation will be Sunday, Feb. 26.
The sites will have modified hours effective Saturday, Feb. 11. The new hours for both sites will be 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Residents, business owners, and nonprofits are urged to attend a DRC/LAC to receive help applying for federal assistance and disaster loans, update applications, and learn about other resources available from state, local government and nonprofit partners.
Resources are available for undocumented community members as well. Spanish, ASL and Mixteco interpreter services are available onsite. DRC/LAC are also accessible to people with disabilities and those with access and functional needs.
For those needing transportation to the DRC/LAC, public transit and paratransit options can be found at ReadySBC.org.
“The DRC/LAC locations have been a valuable space for over 500 community members to get connected with resources they may not have even known existed for them,” said Kelly Hubbard, director of the county Office of Emergency Management.
“The county will continue to work with local cities and community to gauge the needs of our residents and provide support even after the closure of these centers,” Hubbard said.
In addition to the two local DRC/LACs, FEMA has coordinated with local government agencies to send Disaster Survivor Assistance teams out into various impacted communities throughout Santa Barbara County.
The teams have successfully provided assistance to nearly 1,300 residents in their own communities. The teams will continue their work to support the ongoing needs of impacted community members.
Disaster Recovery Centers/Local Assistance Centers are:
North County Center:
Open: Until Feb. 26
Hours Feb. 8-10: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Hours Feb. 11-26: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Location: Allan Hancock College, 800 S. College Drive, Santa Maria, Building O-300
South County Center:
Open: Feb. 11-15
Hours: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Location: Direct Relief , 6100 Wallace Becknell Road, Santa Barbara
Virtual Local Assistance Center: Online information from the DRCs remains available in English and Spanish.
English: https://www.readysbc.org/3683/January-2023-Storm-Recovery
Spanish: www.ReadySBC.org/recuperacion-tormenta-enero
Registered for emergency alerts at ReadySBC.org. Click on the red icon to register to receive emergency alerts via text, phone call and email.