FEMA Steps Up Tornado Aid In Mass.
SPRINGFIELD (AP) - The first federal disaster recovery centers are set to open in Massachusetts to help victims of the June 1 tornadoes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the centers will open on Saturday at Technology Park in Springfield and at the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building in West Springfield.
Mass.Gov: Tornado Recovery
FEMA is expected to announce the locations for seven other centers in western and central Massachusetts in the coming days. President Barack Obama issued a federal disaster declaration earlier this week for Hampden and Worcester Counties.
Residents can visit the centers to apply for federal assistance or low-interest loans to help fix or replace homes, cars and other property damaged or destroyed in the tornadoes.
Donate: The CBS Boston Cares Massachusetts Tornado Relief Fund
Gov. Deval Patrick's administration has also announced that beginning Saturday, residents affected by the tornadoes can apply for emergency food assistance through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
