JANESVILLE — The Rock County Disaster Recovery Center for Rock County residents opens today, July 15, at the Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Resource Center located at 1717 Center Ave.
The center will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to help residents, businesses, and nonprofits affected by the severe storms and flooding that occurred between April 13–23, 2026.
The center is staffed with personnel from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide one-on-one assistance with the following:
- FEMA Individual Assistance: Help applying for disaster grants for temporary housing and home repairs.
- SBA Disaster Loans: Guidance on low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses to repair or replace damaged property and assets.
- Essential Needs & Case Management: Information on replacing lost personal documents, mental health counseling, and referrals to local social services.
Before visiting, you can also begin your FEMA application online via the DisasterAssistance.gov portal or by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362. For the SBA, you can schedule an appointment for loan assistance online through the SBA Appointment System.
Community members are reminded that when applying for assistance, they should verify that:
- The damaged home is their primary residence.
- They have not received assistance for the same losses from another source, including insurance.
- They can be reached by FEMA using the contact information provided in the application.
When applying for assistance, residents will need to provide:
- Contact information, including an email address.
- Their address at the time of the disaster and their current address, if different.
- Social Security number.
- Annual household income.
- A general list of damage and losses.
- Banking information, if they choose direct deposit.
- Insurance information, including policy number or the name of their insurance agent or company.
For help with an application or to apply by phone, community members may contact the FEMA Helpline at 1‑800‑621‑3362. Individuals using a video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service (CTS), or another accessibility resource should provide FEMA with the number associated with that service.
After FEMA issues a decision, community members who disagree with the determination may appeal:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- In person at a Disaster Recovery Center (location to be announced).
- By mail or fax.