Disaster Inspections In Progress
Release Date: June 13, 2001
Release Number: 1379-05
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Houston, TX -- Following the southeast Texas floods, almost 20,000 people have applied for state and federal aid by calling 1-800-462-9029 (TTY 1-800-462-7585). Eligible applicants receive confirmation and follow-up information in the mail. After registering, inspectors will contact homeowners to schedule an inspection of the damaged property.
Before the inspection, residents who are able to return to their damaged homes are encouraged to begin a safe cleanup. They should take photos or videos of the destruction and keep lists of items destroyed. Receipts should be kept for possible reimbursement.
Inspectors are contractors working for FEMA. They are specially trained with construction and/or appraisal expertise. They are required to carry identification badges and applicants should ask to see this identification. The inspection, which is free, generally takes 30 or 40 minutes and includes a review of both structure and contents. The inspector does not make an eligibility determination at that time, but electronically submits the report to FEMA for processing.
Once the inspector's report is filed, checks can be processed as quickly as two days although it may take as many as five for more complicated applications. FEMA disaster checks can be mailed or directly deposited in residents' bank accounts.
Flood victims should be aware that a common scam involves someone posing as an inspector or loss verifier of flood damaged property. Some of these "inspectors" charge a fee for what they do. Some may have official-looking identification used to get inside residents' property. If someone comes to your door and they say that they are with a government agency or utility, insist on seeing identification.
Last Modified: Monday, 20-Oct-2003 14:24:42