Inspectors Visiting Damaged Homes In Lackawanna County
Release Date: September 30, 2003
Release Number: 1485-08
» More Information on Pennsylvania Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
Harrisburg, PA - Verification inspectors are now in Lackawanna County visiting people who have applied for disaster assistance, according to state and federal disaster officials. Once residents are registered, an inspector will be assigned to contact the homeowner or renter and schedule a mandatory inspection of the damaged property.
Inspectors are specially trained contractors working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They carry special photo identification badges.
Applicants should be aware that a common scam involves someone posing as an inspector or loss verifier of flood damaged property and may also have official looking identification. If someone says they are with a government agency, insist on seeing identification. If they cannot produce photo documentation, they are not FEMA inspectors
The inspection, which is free, generally takes 30 to 40 minutes and includes a review of both the structure and contents. One or more different inspectors may come to look at the damaged property such as loss verifiers from the U.S. Small Business Administration; American Red Cross representatives; and local building and safety inspectors.
FEMA inspectors do not make an eligibility determination. They electronically submit the report to FEMA for processing. Once the inspector's report is filed and approved, checks can be processed. FEMA disaster aid checks can be mailed or directly deposited into the applicant's bank accounts.
Lackawanna County residents who have losses from the Labor Day week storms are urged to register by calling FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to midnight seven days a week until further notice. Residents may visit the Disaster Recovery Center located in the Lackawanna Heritage Village Center (the old Vo-Tec building) at 1300 Old Plank Road in Mayfield. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until further notice. The center is closed on Sunday.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 01-Oct-2003 15:39:05