Phone lines were laid and tables were brought into the basement of the Centenary Methodist Church Wednesday in preparation for the opening Friday of the FEMA disaster application center.

Marcella Bennett, disaster application center coordinator for FEMA, will arrive in Cape Girardeau today to oversee the center's completion. The church is located at 300 N. Ellis St.

The center will staff 10-30 people, depending on the specific needs determined by State Emergency Management Agency officials.

"Cape Girardeau is the furthest south that we've opened a center so far," said Sharon Riegel, public relations official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "There will be others as the need dictates."

Residents can apply for assistance by phone, or can come to the disaster application center between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday through Monday.

If you are planning to visit the disaster application center, here's what you can expect:

Reception personnel welcome the applicant and direct them to the FEMA registrar. Most applicants are seen on a walk-in basis. However, if the center is crowded, the flood victim is given an appointment time to avoid a long wait.

A FEMA registrar sits privately with an applicant to hear about the individual's situation and assesses the needs. Together, they fill out an application for assistance.

FEMA will provide child care services during the process so that parents can concentrate on the questions.

Applicants are not required to bring photographs of damaged property to the center. Also, it is not necessary for applicants to bring copies of their insurance policies with them.

There will be a control number on the top of the application. Flood victims should write that number down and put it in a safe place in case they should want to amend or change information at a later date.

Emergency shelter, clothing and food needs are referred to the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations who can provide the most immediate assistance.

Other federal, state and local agencies are represented within the center. Applicants can visit each of the agencies that may be able to help them.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation specialists will be on hand to advise victims of ways to protect themselves against future floods.

FEMA exit interviewers ensure that applicants have spoken to everyone who can help them and to give flood victims an idea of what will happen next. The exit interviewer will then give the victim a copy of the application, which should be kept in a safe place.

Riegel said applicants can expect to spend about an hour at the center filling out forms.

No checks will be issued at the time of the application. All information must be verified by FEMA representatives.

Riegel said most eligible housing applicants can expect to receive a check in the mail in less than a week.

Other standard applications could take a week to 10 days to process.

The Small Business Administration will be on hand to take applications for low-interest loans to rebuild damaged businesses and for federal reimbursement of wages lost while fighting the flood.

If the center in inundated with flood victims, Riegel said, FEMA can keep the it open past the scheduled days.

"We've had to do that at least once before," he said. "As long as there is a need, we'll be in the area."

Flood victims wishing to apply by phone, should call 1-800-462-9029.