As we make our way through yet another round of storms, people in Contra Costa County are just beginning the process of recovering from the storm damage left behind in January.
The good news is, there are federal resources available for those who qualify.
A FEMA’s disaster recovery center is now open in Danville, serving as a hub of information for people impacted by the January storms.
Kris and Theresa McCullough came down to the center from Byron hoping to get some help repairing the home damaged in the January storms.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
“It’s been really traumatic and hard dealing with a brand new baby,” said Kris. “We lost all of our baby’s stuff and most of our belongings.”
“We really want to make sure people have access to information and can file those applications directly with FEMA,” said Kristi Jourdan, Contra Costa County public information officer.
Jourdan said the county is trying to make it easier for residents to get help by opening up mobile sites in two other cities this week.
They'll set up first in Richmond at the Civic Center Plaza parking lot near 24th Avenue. Then later will move to Pittsburg on the 200 block of East Leland Road.
Ironically, the mobile site was not running Monday because of the weather. Anyone looking to visit the help centers should bring documentation of any property damage so officials can help them apply directly to FEMA for assistance.
“You want to make sure you’re bringing all your information with you whether that’s photos, or other information that documents any of the damage that you’ve experienced on your private property,” said Jourdan.
So far, just over 1,000 applications have been filed in Contra Costa County totaling close to $2 million in relief requests.
The deadline to apply for assistance through FEMA is March 16.
For those hardest hit, it's a step in the right direction. But they note, it's still a very long road ahead.
“The process has been really difficult because we don’t know what we’ve lost, everything was thrown away and we're still trying to manage and figure out what we have and what we don’t have,” said Kris.
