TIFTON — FEMA and GEMA representatives manning the Tift County Disaster Recover Center at 202 Baldwin Drive in the Tift County Recreation Department’s Special Purpose Building had served 89 people seeking financial assistance as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. The center will continue to operate from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

The temporary state and federal DRCs in Coffee, Colquitt and Lowndes counties will transition to U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Centers.

“Other DRCs remain open where people may find in-person help and specialists are also available by phoning FEMA’s toll-free Helpline,” said GEMA Director Charley English. “The SBA presence is another step in reaching out with assistance to Georgians who experiences losses from the late March and early April storms and flooding.”

Douglas’ DRC at the C.E. Weir Center, 200 E. Bryan St., Building F, will end its operations at 7 p.m. Friday. SBA will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center at the Monday at the Conference Building at 200 C South Madison in Douglas. The DRC at the Colquitt County EMA at 164 Veterans Parkway N. in Moultrie will end operations at 4 p.m. Saturday and the SBA will open its center there Monday.

The SBA is the nation’s primary source of assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes in federally declared disaster areas, according to a press release from FEMA. SBA disaster loan interest rates are as low as 2.187 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

SBA representatives at the DLOCs are able to provide disaster loan applications, answer questions, explain the application process and help individuals complete their loan applications.

For more information, visit SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance, call 1-800-659-2955 or e-mail to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Individuals can register with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA Helpline toll free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired. The toll-free numbers are staffed seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. local time. Help in all languages is available. Applicants who have already registered can check the status of their applications and get many questions answered about the process.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.