ASHLAND — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a team of disaster-recovery experts on the ground in Boyd County to assist residents who were affected by the severe storms of earlier this month in getting back to normal.

FEMA opened a disaster recovery center on Wednesday in the Ashland Boyd County Catlettsburg Office of Emergency Management building, located at 1409 Blackburn Ave. It’s staffed by representatives from FEMA and from the U.S. Small Business Adminstration who can explain government assistance programs for disaster victims, as well help residents apply for aid.

“We’re here to help. That’s what we do and we’re professionals at it,” said Mike Sweet, a FEMA spokesman.

As of Friday, Boyd was one of 17 Kentucky counties that had been approved for individual FEMA assistance. Lawrence was added to the list on Friday, and Greenup is being considered and could be added soon, Sweet said.

Boyd was approved for FEMA aid due to a pair of intense and violent storms that slammed the county the evening of May 10. The storms dumped four inches of rain on the city of Ashland and also produced strong winds, golf ball-sized hail and widespread flooding. Roughly 300 homes in the county were damaged by the storms, emergency officials said.

Personnel at the Boyd disaster recovery center saw about 45 residents during its first two days of operation, said Betty Jo Nichols, the center’s manager. She said she expected traffic to pick up in the days ahead.

“Word’s starting to get out that we’re here,” she said.

According to Sweet, residents can apply for FEMA assistance without ever setting foot in the center by calling (800) 621-3362, or  by going to disasterassistance.gov on the Internet. However, he said applying through the center offers some advantages.

One, he said, is that there are people there to answer questions about the process. Also, the on-site experts can help make sure applications are filled out correctly, which helps to speed claims processing.

“I’ve seen claims delayed by the most minor errors,” Sweet said.

Individuals who have applied for disaster assistance by phone or online can also stop by the center to check the status of their claims, Sweet said.

Also, FEMA has a disaster mitigation specialist at the center to provide homeowners with advice on making their houses more disaster-proof. Even residents whose homes were not damaged by the storm are welcome to stop by the center and speak to him — “In fact, we’d encourage it,” Sweet said.

When asked what disaster-proofing advice he most commonly gives homeowners, Joe Laughery, the mitigation expert said it’s simple: Buy flood insurance. And, that holds true even for those who don’t live in the floodplain.

In fact, Laughery said about 60 percent of the flooding seen by FEMA occurs in non-floodplain areas, caused by runoff and other factors.

Another common misconception is that flood insurance can only be purchased from the federal government. And, while it’s true that FEMA pays out claims, “Any insurance agent can buy it for you,” Loughery said.

Flood insurance also is less costly than many realize, generally running $300 to $400 a year for houses outside the floodplain, Loughery said.

Federal financial assistance for homeowners, renters and business owners affected by natural disasters generally falls into one of two categories — FEMA grants and low-interest loans through the SBA. Into which category an individual falls is determined by a number of factors, including degree of damage, income level and ability to repay loans, Sweet said.

The maximum amount available through a FEMA grant is $30,300, while the maximums for SBA loans are $200,000 for property damage and $40,000 for contents. The interest rate for SBA loans is less than 3 percent.

“You’re not going to get that from any bank,” Sweet said.

Loan payment amounts are based on income and recipient can take up to 30 years to pay them off, said Esther McDaniel, a customer service representative with the SBA.

Applicants who do qualify for grant assistance will receive SBA loan packets in the mail, Sweet said. Those papers must be filled out and returned in order for the process to continue, he said, also nothing that completing the application in no way obligates one to accept a loan.

“The loan packet is nothing to be afraid of,” he stressed.

The disaster recovery center is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. It will also be open on Memorial Day. Sweet said it wasn’t yet clear how long the center would remain in Boyd County.

“We’ve not even had any discussions yet about wrapping it up,” he said.

Also, FEMA has members of its Community Education and Outreach team stationed at Lowe’s in the Russell Centre to offer advice to local homeowners, renters and business owners on cleanup and rebuilding procedures following the storms and flooding.

The outreach teams will suggest mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards such as flooding and high winds.

 FEMA mitigation outreach specialists will explain how best to clean up mold, mildew and bacteria, common problems after flooding. They also will be offering tips on how to protect structures from future flooding, including information about relocating electrical panels, washers, dryers, and heating and cooling equipment to avoid water damage.

 The teams are available through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.