VALPARAISO | FEMA is here to help you -- but not for much longer.

Residents who suffered damage in the recent floods can apply for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Agency representatives have set up at the city's north fire station to take applications, but Mayor Jon Costas warned they will only remain as long as there is sufficient demand for the service.

"Even though applicants can register with FEMA until Dec. 8, they only have a limited time to take advantage of the new Disaster Recovery Center in Valparaiso, so it's important to contact FEMA right away," Costas said.

The agency has 10 full-service representatives at the station at 2605 Cumberland Drive from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. No appointment is necessary.

Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties were declared disaster areas after floods resulting from the Sept. 13 to 14 rains. The designation makes residents of those counties eligible for federal help through FEMA and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Among the things qualifying residents for aid are:

- rental payments for temporary housing;

- grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance;

- grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs;

- loans to small businesses, small agricultural concerns and private nonprofit organizations that suffered disaster-related cash flow problems;

- loans for farmers and agricultural operators to cover production and property losses.

Also, anyone who temporarily lost their job because of the flood could be eligible for unemployment benefits, but the deadline for application for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is Oct. 22.

A variety of other relief programs are available, such as crisis counseling, income tax assistance for filing casualty losses and advisory assistance for legal, veterans' benefits and social security matters.

Aid to individuals and households will vary based on a variety of factors. To determine eligibility for assistance, residents should first call (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or visit the FEMA Web site at fema.gov to register and receive a nine-digit case number. Once registered, residents can visit the temporary disaster recovery center to get help in person.

"We intend to respond quickly to help residents get started on the road to recovery," FEMA Public Information Specialist David Ecker said. "This temporary center is truly a one-stop shop where we can help qualified applicants in many ways, from receiving grants or loans to assistance with filing forms and mitigating further damages."