OCRACOKE – The Hurricane Dorian recovery center on Ocracoke Island will close Thursday at 4 p.m.  Residents needing recovery assistance should visit before then to complete an application for a Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan.   Low-interest disaster loans are available to homeowners and businesses, but no one is obligated to accept a loan.  Information provided on the loan application is used to determine eligibility for a separate program that provides individual assistance grants from the state.

More than 400 residents have visited the Ocracoke Recovery Center and completed applications so far, and recovery officials want to make sure everyone who needs assistance makes a visit before Thursday.

The center is located in the NC Emergency Management trailer in the parking lot of the Variety Store at 950 Irvin Garrish Hwy in the village.  Representatives from the SBA, Hyde County, and North Carolina Emergency Management are there to meet with residents and help fulfill needs.

After Thursday, applications for SBA loans can be submitted online at http://disasterloan.sba.gov until December 16.

State Voluntary Agency Liaison staff from NC Emergency Management will remain on Ocracoke after Thursday, working closely with the island’s long-term recovery group, the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief and Recovery Team (OIRRT), to help satisfy unmet needs.  Residents may apply to Individual Assistance via the Individual Assistance Helpline at 919-825-2378 and can submit documentation via email at iarecovery@ncdps.gov.

Residents may contact the Ocracoke Interfaith Relief and Recovery Team (OIRRT) directly via e-mail at unmet@oirrt.org or 833-543-3248.