An Important Message to Mills County Residents Affected by Recent Disasters
Mills County Emergency Management has an important message for homeowners, renters, business owners, and private nonprofits in Mills County, declared a disaster area due to the 2011 Missouri River flooding. Resources are available to help with financial recovery, legal assistance and mental health support.
To be considered for disaster assistance either through flood events or the August hail storms, it is important to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-659-3362 or visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/services.disasterassistance. Applicants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call TTY 1-800-877-8339. After registering with FEMA, residents and business owners must complete an SBA Disaster Loan Application using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or complete the application by mail. It is a necessary step to be considered for most forms of disaster assistance, including grants. SBA service representatives are available at all Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to issue loan applications, answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, help individuals complete their applications. No appointment is necessary. There are 2 sites currently serving the Mills County area and they are open 9am-6pm M-F, closed Sat/Sun.
Pottawattamie County
Human Services Campus
705 N. 16th Street; Council Bluffs, Ia. 51501
Fremont County
Emergency Operations Center
2014 290th Avenue; Sidney, IA
Those flood affected individuals who may require legal assistance, are eligible to receive free disaster related legal advice from an attorney, by calling the Iowa State Bar Association’s toll-free legal aide hotline at (877) 775-8882, 24-hours a day, and leave a brief message with the following information, identifying that you are seeking flood-related legal assistance, the county where you reside and your current contact information. Survivors who qualify for assistance are matched with Iowa lawyers, who have volunteered their time to provide free legal advice. (Note: this service is provided solely for legal issues arising from the flooding which occurred during the period of May 25 to August 1, 2011, in Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Pottawattamie counties.)
Mental health assistance is also available at no cost by contacting the Iowa Concern Hotline at
1-800-447-1985. Project Recovery Iowa can assist you by providing needed support during the recovery process and help you to regain a sense of control over your life. This free and confidential service is available to any flood affected individual here in Mills County.
The Mills County Flood Recovery Hotline, 712-527-4231, is still in operation and staff is available to provide resources as needed. You can access up to date resource information by calling the Hotline or online at www.millscountyflood.org. Call today for information or to find out how you can assist members of your community as we work together to recover from the 2011 floods.