Manchester federal disaster relief center to close Monday and reopen Wednesday in Farmingdale

The Kennebec River floods the parking lot Dec. 19, 2023, at the Hathaway Creative Center at 10 Water St. in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel file

FARMINGDALE — The Kennebec County Disaster Recovery Center is scheduled to close Monday in Manchester and reopen Wednesday in Farmingdale.

The center, one of 5 in central and Western Maine opened in the wake of the Dec. 18 storm, was set up to help eligible residents seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Things are going fairly smoothly,” Sean Goodwin, who heads up Kennebec County’s Emergency Management Agency, said.

The federal agency anticipated at least 557 claims to arise from residents across Kennebec County, Goodwin said, and that projection has been met.

The Farmingdale Fire Station Disaster Recovery Center is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Wednesday and run through March 20.

The Disaster Recovery Centers are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and serve as central locations for those affected by the storm, which was active from Dec. 17 to Dec. 21, to receive help with their application or speak with staff members.

Approved applicants in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, or Somerset counties might be eligible to receive FEMA disaster assistance for damage to their primary residence, which is categorized as a place where the individual lives for more than six months of the year, according to FEMA.

FEMA’s individual assistance is determined on a case-by-case basis, but assistance can cover:

• Temporary housing assistance.

• Lodging expense reimbursement.

• Home repair or replacement.

• Damage to essential vehicles.

• Moving and storage assistance.

• Some costs not covered by insurance.

• Federal recovery loans with low interest rates.

• Other necessary expenses related to the Dec. 18 storm.

President Joe Biden formally declared the December storm a disaster in January, which opened the door for people to apply for individual and public assistance for damage to their property caused by the storm.

Gov. Janet Mills authorized last week that Kennebec County may apply for public assistance related to the storm.

The Farmingdale Fire Station Disaster Recovery Center is at 571 Maine Ave. The center and all others are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.

Additional FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are at the Roberts Learning Center, 270 Main St., Farmington; Lewiston Armory, 65 Central Ave.; Rumford Municipal Building, 150 River St.; and Somerset County Emergency Operations Center, 4 County Drive, Skowhegan.