LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As the deadline nears for Valley fire survivors to register for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, that agency and the Small Business Administration offered updates on the help given to impacted community members so far.
The deadline to sign up for FEMA assistance is Monday, Nov. 23, which is 60 days after President Barack Obama issued his presidential major disaster declaration for the 76,067-acre fire, which burned more than 1,300 homes.
So far, for Valley fire survivors FEMA has approved $3.28 million for housing and $2.79 million for other needs, according to agency spokesman Steve Solomon.
Solomon said 2,546 Valley fire survivors have registered for FEMA assistance, there have been 2,756 visits to the two county Disaster Recovery Centers – one in Clearlake, the other in Middletown – and 806 eligible applicants have received rental assistance for 60 days.
Susheel Kumar, spokesman for the Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance, told Lake County News that so far the agency has approved a total of $9,045,000 in loans as a result of the fire.
That total breaks down to $7,680,000 for homeowners and renters, and $1,365,000 for business loans.
The county's Disaster Recovery Centers are located at 14860 Olympic Drive in Clearlake and at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St.
They will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, closed on Sunday and then open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, FEMA reported.
FEMA said the Clearlake Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 p.m. Nov. 23.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, the Middletown Disaster Recovery Center will open at 9 a.m. and transition to the SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center. Officials said hours will be Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Survivors can still register for FEMA assistance online at www.disasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362; TTY 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
After online and telephone registration ends at midnight Monday, Nov. 23, the same contact numbers can be used to ask FEMA about pending applications or other issues.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.