FEMA office in South Kingstown closes

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) -- A month after Hurricane Sandy devastated southern Rhode Island, federal officials are closing down one of the disaster recovery centers that was established in the storm's wake.

The FEMA center in South Kingstown was established at the Union Fire Station to help residents get financial help from the federal government.

FEMA officials tell Eyewitness News that 400 people in Washington County registered for help with the agency, with 45 of those in South Kingstown.

But, one month after the storm, applications have dropped to a level where officials felt they could close the South Kingstown office.  Two others are still open - one in Middletown, the other in Westerly - and people who still want to apply for federal assistance can still do so until January 14th.

The US Small Business Administration is also an available resource, offering low-interest loans to help pay for repairs to property.