Federal officials set up a disaster relief center in Carrollton May 24 to help local residents and businesses reclaim damages from the Mother’s Day storm. Now the federal government has ruled Carroll County to be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance as well.

State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond announced Wednesday that residents can now apply for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or DUA. DUA differs from state unemployment insurance in that it provides benefits to the self-employed, farmers, “diversified farming operators,” loggers, commission-paid employees and others not eligible for state unemployment benefits.

DUA is also available for people who “become the breadwinner or major support of a household because the head of household has died as a direct result of the disaster.”

County residents who wish to apply for DUA can go to the Carrollton Career Center at 275 Northside Drive or call 770-836-6668. The maximum weekly amount DUA provides is $320, and Thurmond said workers should apply for DUA no later than June 27.

Nine other counties besides Carroll are also eligible for DUA insurance: Bibb, Douglas, Emanuel, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, McIntosh and Twiggs.

For those still needing disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency center at 166 Education Drive, located behind the jail on Newnan Road, is open for business today. Residents or businesses that had damage from the Mothers Day storms on May 11-12 can come in to apply for personal reimbursement.

So far, the number of people coming in to the FEMA headquarters - also the base for U.S. Small Business Administration and Georgia Emergency Management Agency disaster efforts - has increased each day, with at least 160 people coming in so far this week, 78 of which came in Wednesday. Thursday totals were unavailable as of press time.

FEMA and coordinating agencies are now beginning the process of helping local governments assess the amount of time and money spent recovering from the storm, and apply for reimbursement from the federal government.

“Overall, I think things are going real well,” said Tim Padgett, director of the Carroll County Emergency Management Agency. “I think people’s money is tight right now, that’s the bottom line, and I really feel it’s a very good process, and that people need more than in the past... I think people have been very appreciative of the help. FEMA and the Small Business Administration and everyone else has been super nice to our citizens; they’ve bent over backwards to help us.”