FEMA to close Wayne Co. disaster recovery centers Wednesday

Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster recovery centers in Detroit and Taylor are set to close Wednesday, officials said.

The FEMA recovery centers that will close are located at the Butzel Family Recreation Center, 7737 Kercheval Ave. in Detroit and Wayne County Community College's Downriver Campus, 21000 Northline Road in Taylor.

They will close their doors permanently at 6:30 p.m., the agency announced Monday.

Both centers were opened after severe storms, tornadoes and flooding devastated parts of the county between Aug. 23-26, 2023. The centers served as one-stop shops to help Wayne County's residents recover from the storms.

FEMA officials also said the registration period for federal disaster assistance ends May 8.

Residents affected by the storms can continue to apply for FEMA assistance or check on application status from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. by calling the agency's toll-free helpline at 1-800-621-3362. They can also visit DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA App.

Torrential rain fell on western Wayne County on Aug. 23, submerging cars on streets and disrupting car and air traffic at Detroit Metro Airport, and canceling flights. Up to 7 inches of rain were recorded in Wayne County.

The next day, seven tornadoes touched down in Michigan across five counties — starting in Kent County, then shifting to Ingham and Livingston counties before finishing in Wayne and Monroe counties — causing two deaths: in Lansing and near Webberville. Four touched down in Wayne County, including in Canton Township, Van Buren Township and South Rockwood. The tornadoes downed trees, damaged buildings, left hundreds of thousands of residents temporarily without power and spurred flooding.

In February, FEMA officials said it distributed more than $4.6 million to Michigan residents whose properties were damaged in the August storms, flooding and tornadoes.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

X: @CharlesERamirez