New Quake Assistance Center Will Replace 3 Other Units

Federal disaster officials announced Sunday that three federal disaster assistance centers are closing this week and a new one will open to better accommodate requests for assistance after the Oct. 1 earthquake.

A new center will be opened Tuesday in Long Beach at the Silverado Gym at 1600 W. 32nd St., said Roxanne McIntyre, spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Rosemead center at 3936 N. Muscatel Ave. was closed Sunday night, she said, and two other centers will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday because of diminishing applications. Those centers are at the La Habra Senior Citizens Center, 165 E. La Habra Blvd. and the Hollenbeck Recreation Center at 415 S. St. Louis St. in Los Angeles.

Four other centers will remain open. They are located at: the Almansor Gymnasium, 800 S. Almansor St. in Alhambra; the Bellview Park Recreation Center, 826 Lucille Ave. in Los Angeles; the Whittier Quad Mall, 8442 Quad Way in Whittier, and the Harvard Recreation Center, 1535 W. 62nd St. in Los Angeles.

The FEMA hot line will remain open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The number is (1-800) 338-7693.

FEMA has processed 14,791 applications for state and federal earthquake aid since the centers were opened Oct. 11, McIntyre said.