Housing Inspectors View More Than 85,000 Damaged Homes
Release Date: October 28, 2002
Release Number: 1437-92
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Lili
Baton Rouge, LA -- A fast-working cadre of damage assessment inspectors deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has evaluated 85,934 residences damaged by the back-to-back onslaught of Tropical Storm Isidore and Hurricane Lili according to officials overseeing disaster recovery operations.
Carlos Mitchell, federal coordinating officer said that nearly 100 percent of registrations requiring inspections due to Isidore are completed and more than 96 percent of property damage assessments arising from Lili are complete. To date, he said that the rapid pace of inspections has sped approval of $37.7 million in temporary housing assistance to more than 37,000 eligible residents in the 36 parishes designated for federal and state individual assistance programs.
Another 2,500 homes are slated for damage assessment by the more than 225 inspectors who each view four-or-more damaged structures daily. Mitchell said inspectors do not make eligibility determinations but electronically transmit their reports to FEMA for immediate processing. Once the inspector's report is sent, checks can be processed quickly.
FEMA disaster assistance checks are mailed or directly deposited in resident's bank accounts. Direct deposit is a much quicker option, shaving as much as five days off the time to receive the check through the mail.
"As soon as registrations come in, we issue inspection assignments on a first-come, first-served basis," said Mitchell. "This is a key reason why we encourage people with disaster damages or losses to register for assistance as quickly as possible."
More than 110,000 people have applied for some form of federal-state disaster assistance, a process that starts with a call to 800-621-FEMA. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments who use special keyboard equipment (TTY) should call 800-462-7585.
Mitchell said inspections are a mandatory requirement before financial assistance can be given. "We must verify and inspect the damage, so it's in the applicants best interest to make every effort to keep the appointment," said Mitchell.
To speed the inspection process applicants are urged to:
- Provide a reliable telephone number where they can be contacted;
- Make sure their home/mailbox number can be easily seen from the road;
- Allow enough time for the inspector to conduct a thorough review;
- Keep the appointment or notify the inspectors if a postponement is necessary; and
- Stay in touch, including telling neighbors of your whereabouts and the appointment.
In most cases inspectors contact applicants a week or so after registration to schedule a visit to view reported damage and losses.
Inspectors are contractors working for FEMA. They are specially trained and have construction and/or appraisal expertise. They carry badges to identify themselves. The inspection, which is free, generally takes about 30 or 40 minutes and includes both structure and contents.
Mitchell said, "As the recovery process continues, FEMA will continue to work with our state and community partners to help them rebuild in a way to reduce future risk." Residents also are encouraged to contact their insurance agent about purchasing flood insurance.
Officials urged individuals seeking assistance to call 800-621-FEMA to register. The toll-free number will operate from 7a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 22-Apr-2003 15:17:52