Residents and business owners who applied for federal assistance because of damage from the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and wildfires that occurred March 14 and 15 will soon be contacted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency damage inspectors, agency officials announced.
Those who sustained disaster-related damage in counties including Howell, Oregon, Ozark and Wright may be eligible for assistance by registering with FEMA.
Following registration, FEMA usually schedules an inspection within seven to 10 days. Housing inspections are triggered when someone registers with FEMA for disaster assistance and indicates their residence was damaged and/or they lost personal property because of the disaster, and their losses or needs are not covered by insurance.
FEMA inspectors document personal property losses and disaster impacts to an applicant’s residence, particularly whether the house is safe, sanitary and livable. The inspectors do not make outright FEMA eligibility decisions onsite. Rather, they gather information that is among many factors used to determine if, or how FEMA may be able to help.
The housing inspector will consider the structural soundness of the house, both inside and out; whether the electrical, gas, heat, plumbing and sewer/septic systems are in working order; whether the house is safe to live in and can be entered and exited safely; whether any accessibility features that existed before the disaster are damaged or if any may need to be added to make the house livable; and personal property losses.
Storm survivors must have initiated a no-cost FEMA application for disaster assistance, agency officials explained.
Once registered, a housing inspector will call or text the applicant and make an appointment to meet at the damaged dwelling. This communication may come from an unfamiliar phone number, so it’s important to answer the call or text so an appointment can be set.
Applicants must be present for the inspection and be able to prove occupancy and/or ownership for the dwelling by showing a utility bill or a copy of a deed or mortgage with their name on it. The inspector will not take copies of those documents.
A typical home inspection of a residence takes about 45 minutes to complete. After the inspection, applicants should allow seven to 10 days to hear back from FEMA.
Legitimate housing inspectors are FEMA employees. The inspector will already know an applicant’s FEMA case number, will present official FEMA identification and will never ask for or accept money. This service is free.
If someone is concerned about a person claiming to be a FEMA inspector, they should not provide personal information, but contact local law enforcement.
Apply for FEMA assistance in one of three ways:
Online: www.disasterassistance.gov
Phone: 800-621-3362
Download and use the FEMA app
Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. For an accessible video on three ways to apply for FEMA assistance, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU7wzRjByhI.
Disaster survivors who have questions about the status of their application can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.
