Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a wide range of disaster recovery assistance is now available to businesses and individuals in Alabama, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This brief primer provides key phone numbers and Web sites to help you navigate through your recovery.

1. First and foremost, one must register by calling 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number for speech- or hearing-impaired individuals is 1 (800) 462-7585. For details, visit www.fema.gov.
   
   
2. Once registered, the broadest and most comprehensive array of assistance services can be obtained at a Disaster Recovery Center. There are presently 5 in Alabama, 3 in Florida, 12 in Louisiana, and 2 in Mississippi. For more details, visit www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadrcs.shtm.
   
   
3. The American Red Cross has created a family links registry to aid individuals seeking loved ones. To contact the registry, call 1 (877) Loved-1S (568-3317), or visit http://www.redcross.org.
   
   
4. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has also set up a hotline at 1 (888) 544-5475.
   
   
5. Information on replacing vital documents, including a broad array of services, can be found at www.firstgov.gov.
   
   
6. Recovery assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration is available at www.sba.gov/disaster.