Posted on 06/13/2011 7:38:13 AM PDT by TSgt
Jefferson County resident Jonathan Stewart said he laughed in shock after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claimed the house his family lost in the deadly April 27 twister was ‘not unsafe to live in’.
Displaced families in tornado-ravaged Alabama are outraged after being denied federal aide to rebuild their flattened homes – due to ‘insufficient damage’.
The devastating reality is the house is now a concrete slab surrounded by rubble.
Mr Stewart told AL.com a FEMA inspector saw first-hand the Pleasant Grove residence he shared with his wife, Lisa, and their two children was ripped from the ground. Three days after the visit, however, he received a letter reading: ‘Based on your FEMA inspection, we have determined that the disaster has not caused your home to be unsafe to live in.
‘Although the disaster may have caused some minor damage it is reasonable to expect you or your landlord to make these repairs. At this time you are not eligible for FEMA housing assistance.’
Mr Stewart told the website: ‘Lisa and I looked at the letter and laughed.’ While he has since found out his insurance coverage will replace his house, the family is not alone.
Lashunta Tabb’s home 15 miles away in North Smithfield Manor was stripped of its siding, and more than half of her roof blew off with tornado-force winds.
She too, received a letter claiming there was ‘insufficient damage’ – the number one reason in Alabama the people are determined ineligible for FEMA grants, worth up to $30,200.
It is not yet known how many Alabama tornado victims received the letter.
FEMA deputy branch director for individual assistance Lynda Lowe said finding of insifficient damage are often correct, and many of those who filed for assistance did not have damage.
FEMA officials encourage whose who believe they were wrongly declared ineligible to file for an appeal through local disaster recovery centres.
Spokesman Renee Bafalis said: ‘If you have a question why you received a determination of ineligibility, go in there and let them look it up and help you file an appeal.’
A report issued on Wednesday, however, revealed few disaster victims follow through.
It showed less than one percent of the 25,081 applicants initially declared ineligible for any reason had appealed, leaving the potential for millions of dollars in federal aide to go unclaimed.
An applicant has 60 days from the date of the determination letter to appeal.
It was not known at press time how many applicants were declared ineligible in Alabama due to insufficient damage. However, similar findings have occurred after nearly every recent disaster.
THE BUREAUCRACY BEHIND APPLYING FOR FEMA AIDE:
When a disaster victim applies for a FEMA grant, an inspector is dispatched to the applicant’s property.
Inspectors carry laptops connected to a database called NEMIS (National Emergency Management Information System), which guides them through measuring rooms and assessing damage.
Items marked for repair or replacement are priced depending on the geographic region.
Letters are issued based on the computerised report, telling an applicant whether he qualifies for FEMA assistance.
An applicant has 60 days from the date of the determination letter to appeal.
What qualifies as ‘insufficient damage’ remains unclear.
A pending lawsuit accusing FEMA of improperly denying thousands of farm workers in Texas money to repair their homes after Hurricane Dolly struck in 2008 based on the insufficient damage finding claims that FEMA used a concept called ‘deferred maintenance’ to back the rejections.
Deferred maintenance is not referenced in any regulation, Jerry Wesevich, an attorney with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid who represents the plaintiffs, told AL.com.
Mr Wesevich described deferred maintenance as a ‘shorthand term that FEMA uses when it determines somehow that a condition of a home prior to the disaster caused the damage after the storm’.
An Alabama inspectors’ coordinator for FEMA said deferred maintenance is no longer used in assessing damage, although there is a place for inspectors to note ‘pre-existing’ conditions.
I heard that flooded homes along the Mississippi River, etc., were sent letters denying their claims because it wasn’t a natural disaster, since it was also due to human manipulation along the dams etc. I am dropping my FEMA flood insurance this year. We have never flooded at our house (Gulf Coast Texas since 1973) and I think FEMA never pays anyway!
It could also be, “You’re not gonna vote for me so I am writing you off.”
Apparently, the fires that have burned a large portion of Texas and destroyed numerous homes are not bad enough for Obama to send federal assistance.
Just curious, do you have flood insurance? It doesn't automatically come with "home owners", you have to pay extra for it.
Where I live in central Illinois, we are in a tornado prone area and we do have tornado coverage. I dropped my earth quake insurance years ago because there have never been any "damaging" earth quakes here but I believe I will pick it up again when I renew my insurance. Back then it was only about $35 per year, reflecting the fact that we don't get damaging earth quakes, it's probably not much more than that now.
On the other hand, my sister, living in New Madrid County, Missouri, pays an arm and a leg for earth quake coverage.
If a hurricane ever manages to get this far inland, I'll be in big trouble because I probably don't have coverage for that.
My whole point is, that everybody should be very aware what their home owners covers and what it specifically exempts from coverage, don't assume anything. (not you specifically but everybody)
If we are carrying insurance on our homes and properties, why do we need FEMA?
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Basically the same answer to
“If I do not have an insured automobile they ‘threaten’ me with taking my plates away and have strict penalties etc”.
If this is the case why do WE get charged a fee yearly called “UNINSURED MOTORISTS FEES” wouldn’t (shouldn’t) the very threat of no plates and jail off set this TAX????
Of course the state and ins cos are cozy enough to be able to ‘blame each other’ for the high rates and restrictions.
Ditching your flood insurance won’t get you out from under paying for FEMA. Insurance companies are required to set a certain percentage aside for FEMA.
I live in a flood zone that didn’t exist a year ago because FEMA decided that expanding flood zones was easier than convincing people to buy flood insurance they didn’t need.
I live just above a dam so the floodplain is under water all the time. We just finished a stretch of over 30 days of nearly steady rain and the lake rose all of 2 inches.
Why are we expecting taxpayers to pick up the cost?
My first thoughts as well. Those tax dollars have to come from somewhere.
Those withoug insurance, should have bought it. Saving a few bucks a month, weighed against the value of replacing your homes seems to me to be penny wise and pound foolish.
I am sorry to post to everyone but, a LONG, LONG time ago a politician was quoted saying although he mourned for some disaster victims he could not find anywhere in the Constitution a clause that would allow him to allocate money for their relief.
I have tried to find the quote and author but I can’t seem to find it. It is very important whenever a FEMA subject comes up.
Do you actually know any people like that? My mortgage has been paid off for years and I'd no more go without home owners insurance than I'd go for a stroll without any clothes on.
You can’t get very much flood insurance on a house. It is very limited. I think it costs me $250 a year.
But to make a flood claim it cannot just be YOUR home that floods...
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: To be considered a flood, the waters must cover at least two acres or affect at least two properties in the designated zone (NFIP, n.d.d).
So if your house is the only one that floods, NO CLAIM!
Flood Insurance Coverage
Flood insurance covers both residential and commercial buildings. It protects against losses to building structures and their contents that are caused by a flood, but does not protect against losses to the land surrounding them. To be considered a flood, the waters must cover at least two acres or affect at least two properties in the designated zone (NFIP, n.d.d).
For a residential property, a standard flood insurance policy covers up to $250,000 for the building structure and up to $100,000 for its contents. For a commercial property, limitations on standard flood insurance coverage are up to $500,000 for the building structure and up to $500,000 for its contents. For renter contents, the maximum coverage is $100,000. You can consult a flood insurance agent near you to choose your insurance coverage.
“Just curious, do you have flood insurance? It doesn’t automatically come with “home owners”, you have to pay extra for it.”
No, I don’t live in a flood zone. Flood insurance is not included in most home policies, at least around here. These folks were hit by a Tornado, which insurance does cover.
I live in prime hurricane country but the coverage for that stinks. I think the deductible is around 10%, would have to check my policy.
Acres burned equal to acreage of Rhode Island and some other state, I don’t remember which one. Obama said NO to us here in Texas I sure hope we don’t have a bad hurricane while HE is president! Does he not realize that there are Democrats AND Republicans in Texas? He is alienating his Democrat voters, too! Is he STUPID or EVIL?
They also get really picky about the details of the flood.
For example if a pipe breaks in your house they usually pay, except for the mold damage. If a pipe breaks outside your home they wont pay without ‘flood insurance’.
He’s evil.
Obama came to the tornado ravaged areas (Missouri), hugged everybody, spouted that the administration would be “with them” until things were fixed, until the end. Go figure. He’s changeable as the wind, a real human tornado.
I am not in a flood plane. Flood insurance not required at my house.
My neighborhood is the highest point in my area. We have never flooded YET. Moved here 1973.
But I got flood insurance in 2005 after Katrina, before Rita. We didn’t have damage from either one of those storms. Didn’t have damage from Ike, either, except our fence lost two sections - old wood fence.
We boarded up windows and left, came back a couple of days later, house and trees were just fine. Othe people in town lost roofs, trees, etc. We were fine. No floods here from those hurricanes.
If we ever flood it will be due to water rushing into our area from creeks and rivers north of us. We have TWSH Texas Wind Storm Hail. We also have the regular home owners insurance. This is very expensive to have all three.
We lost food during power outage after Hurricane Ike. But we got home as soon as we could after Ike and hooked up gas generator and kept the frig running. Just threw out the frozen stuff and dairy products mostly. That adds up when you have a freezer and a couple of refrigerators. We had power outage last week and it wasn’t even storming! Would love to get one of those natural gas stand by power generators that takes over when elec goes out!
The deductible is about 10% on Texas Wind Storm Hail coverage that we have to have on the coast now. Regular home insurance - ours is about $1500 Deduct
I'm pretty sure it was Congressman Davy Crockett but I'm too lazy to Google it.
Must be Obama supporters who processed this form
having worked as a contractor for several govt agencies I promise you there are a LOT of them.
ANd they all will tell you how entitled they are to their high paying public ‘servant’ jobs and retirelemt after 20 years
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