FEMA is opening two Disaster Recovery Centers Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m., in Pottawattamie and Shelby counties in Iowa to provide one-on-one assistance for people affected by the April tornadoes.

Recovery specialists from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide information on available services, explain disaster assistance programs and help people complete or check the status of applications for federal assistance. Hours of operation: 1 to 7 p.m. the first day, then 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Disaster Recovery Center locations in Iowa:

Pottawattamie County – FEMA Disaster Recovery Center
Minden Fire Department parking lot
207 Main Street 
Minden, Iowa 51553  
This center will be closed Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day. 

Shelby County – FEMA Disaster Recovery Center
Shelby County Chamber of Commerce
1901 Hawkeye Ave. Suite 101
Harlan, Iowa 51537
(Hours subject to change on Memorial Day)

Disaster Recovery Centers are physically accessible to people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. They are equipped with assistance and adaptive technology such as amplified phones, caption phones, video phones, wheelchair ramps and other resources to help ensure all applicants can access resources.

In Nebraska, two Disaster Recovery Centers are still open in Washington and Douglas counties. You can visit any DRC you choose, regardless of whether you live in Iowa or Nebraska.

Disaster Recovery Center locations in Nebraska:

Douglas County – FEMA Disaster Recovery Center
Omaha Police Department – Community Room C116
20924 Cumberland Dr.
Elkhorn, NE 68022

Washington County – FEMA Disaster Recovery Center
First Lutheran Church
2146 Wright St
Blair, NE 68008

Hours of operation:
Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Saturday, May 25. They are closed Monday, May 27, for Memorial Day. Starting Tuesday, May 28, they will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. They are no longer open Sundays.

FEMA can provide money to eligible homeowners and renters for help with needs, paying for a temporary place to live, home repairs and other needs not covered by insurance. To save time, please apply with FEMA online or by phone before visiting a Disaster Recovery Center.

How to Apply with FEMA

  • Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
  • Call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
  • Download and use the FEMA app
  •  Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. For an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).