Assistance for Severe Weather and Flooding that occurred in December 2023 and January 2024 Residents of Kent, Providence, and Washington counties, who were affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred between December 17-19, 2023, and between January 9-13, 2024, can apply for federal assistance. Homeowners and renters who received property loss or damages by either disaster in those counties have until May 20, 2024, to apply. When applying for assistance, you will need to describe what damage(s) happened on which date to ensure you’re applying under the correct disaster.FEMA Assistance - Several ways for homeowners and renters to apply. 1. Visit the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at: Curtis Corner Middle School 301 Curtis Corner Road Wakefield, RI 02879 - Hours of operation: 8 a.m.– 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Help is available in most languages. 3. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish). 4. Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish), available at Google Play or the Apple App Store. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube SBA Assistance - Ways to apply for low-interest disaster loans available to businesses and residents in Rhode Island 1. Visit the Business Recovery Center (BRC) at: North Providence Public Safety Complex 1835 Mineral Spring Avenue North Providence, RI 02904 - Hours of operation: 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. 3. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 4. Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov To view an accessible video on how to apply for SBA visit Reasons to apply for a SBA Loan.
Hazardous Materials Chemicals that are dangerous to human health can be found almost everywhere and are used on a daily basis. Therefore, a hazardous material incident could occur anywhere at any time and it could occur in a variety of ways. In addition to chemicals, explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons and radioactive materials are examples of hazardous materials that, if used improperly or incorrectly, could create a life-threatening incident. Prepare Now. Download our Hazardous Materials Safety Guide to keep you and your family prepared for any hazardous materials-related incident. Hazardous Materials Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Identifying Hazardous Materials The National Fire Protections Association’s 704 System is a standardized system that utilizes numbers and colors on a sign to indicate the basic hazards of a specific material being stored in large containers. The hazard identification signal is a color-coded array of four numbers or letters arranged in a diamond shape. You will see hazard diamonds, like the one shown below, on trucks, storage tanks, bottles of chemicals, and in other various places. The blue, red, and yellow fields represent health, flammability, and reactivity, respectively. Each uses a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the material poses essentially no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger. The fourth value (associated with white) tends to be more variable, both in meaning and in what letters or numbers are written there. Additional Resources Local Emergency Official Contacts Local Emergency Planning Committee Local Evacuation Routes NFPA 704 System State Emergency Response Commission Disaster Supply Kit PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Family Emergency Communications Plan PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes