FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Centers will close in Bertie (Windsor) and Hertford (Winton) counties as of 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Those offices opened in mid-October to assist individuals affected by flooding from Tropical Storm Nicole.

According to FEMA spokesperson Don Daniels, 588 Bertie residents have applied for assistance in the form of federal grants.

In Hertford County, 169 individuals have sought assistance.

To date, over 3,000 have registered for assistance in the 10 eastern North Carolina counties declared as federal disaster areas in the wake of the storm. That has led FEMA officials to approve nearly $3 million in aid, $2.3 million of which was earmarked for housing assistance.

Meanwhile, FEMA specialists will continue to staff informational tables at Ace Home Center (1405 East Memorial Drive) in Ahoskie through Monday, Nov. 8. That schedule is as follows:

8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Monday;

8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6; and

12 noon until 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7.

Information is available on how to repair or improve your homes to reduce or prevent future disaster damages. Those techniques include reducing mold and mildew, protecting electrical systems, furnaces, and other appliances, reinforcing structures against high winds and flooding, and securing important personal property. Information on flood insurance is also available.

Free reference booklets are available both in English and Spanish. No registration is required and there is no limit on the number of times someone can visit with a specialist or on the number of publications they can have.