A Disaster Recovery Center opened Monday morning in Sycamore.

The DRC, 308 W. State St., opened due to President Bush’s recent declaration of DeKalb County as a disaster area.

The center’s hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The center is accepting applications from individuals who have suffered damage from August’s severe storms and flooding.

The center is composed of representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA).

So far, 236 people have applied for assistance across the six counties declared disaster areas, which also include Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, Lake and Will counties. Ninety-six of these applicants are from DeKalb County.

“No loans have been approved yet; the recovery process is still young,” said FEMA Resource Manager Crystal Downs. “We hope that everyone who was affected by the disaster will call and register.”

The SBA will offer low-interest loans of up to $1.5 million for uncompensated business expenses, up to $200,000 for home repair and $40,000 for personal expenses such as renter losses.

“This will all be on a case-by-case basis,” said Dennis Miller, coordinator of the DeKalb County Emergency Services & Disaster Agency. “The applicants need to have all their expenses documented and photographs of the damages.”

Upon applying, the individual will be asked for their social security number, address, phone number and directions to their damaged property.

“Through a series of qualifications, the individual can qualify for different levels of assistance and grant money,” Downs said. “Small businesses or self-employed people can receive their loans through the SBA.”

The DRC staff will offer counseling on the application process, hazard mitigation and information for other programs.

Disaster Recovery Centers are also open in Kane and LaSalle counties.

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