Upon approval of a location by officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an office should be set up soon as the federal agency returns to Cleveland and Bradley County once again to deal with disaster.

Troy Spence, director of the Cleveland-Bradley County Emergency Management Agency, said he has found office space for FEMA to begin offering individual assistance due to the March 2 tornado outbreak which affected Bradley and nine other Tennessee counties.

Just over 10 months ago, FEMA set up shop at 10 Church St. to render aid following the April 27 tornado outbreak.

This new round of aid will include Small Business Administration loans and grants for a number of storm-related expenses upon approval.

FEMA’s presence comes as the result of a presidential declaration for Bradley, Claiborne, Cumberland, DeKalb, Hamilton, Jackson, McMinn, Monroe, Overton and Polk counties.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster,” according to the announcement from FEMA.

Bradley County residents had $3,198,593 in damage. Included in that assessment were six homes which were destroyed and 13 others heavily damaged, 20 moderately damaged and at least 48 affected.

A total of 87 homes were impacted in some way by the storms, according to Spence.

The initial assessment also included $644,400 in losses by at least two businesses.

“FEMA Community Relations officials will begin going door-to-door along the path of the March 2 tornado to talk to residents,” Spence said.

In the meantime, while office space is being established those affected residents can begin the process for requesting aid by going online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

According to FEMA’s information regarding the disaster notification, Terry R. Quarles has been named as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the area.

Once up and running at 283 First St. (if the location is accepted and approved by FEMA), hours and days of visits for residents will be established and announced.

Cleveland-Bradley Community Action Network continues to work with individuals and their unmet immediate needs. Reach CAN by calling 308-3467. Bradley Baptist Association has been aiding with tree and brush cutting and can be contacted at 476-5493. Cleveland Cleanup continues its campaign. Contact Laura Mountain via e-mail at clevelandcleanup@gmail.com, for each week’s location targeted for cleanup from both April 27, 2011, and the March 2 storms.