Damage reimbursement is fast, FEMA says

The average award under one program is $3,800.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
RAVENNA -- The majority of people whose homes were damaged by flooding can expect to receive a government check within 10 days of calling a Federal Emergency Management Agency hot line, officials say.
With the federal emergency declaration Friday, homeowners, renters and small businesses in affected counties have become eligible for a number of programs to cover uninsured losses.
"These programs won't make them whole, but it will give them something," said Ron Sherman, the FEMA officer who is coordinating the effort.
Figures are not yet available on the damage to private property during flooding, officials say. About 1,000 people are thought to be affected in the counties covered under the federal emergency declaration -- Mahoning, Trumbull, Summit, Portage and Medina, said Richard Roman, who is coordinating the effort of the Ohio EMA.
Nationally, cash grants are given out to about 75 percent of homeowners who apply under a program which funds repairs to make a home safe, sanitary and secure. That can include fixing basement walls, appliances or septic lines.
The average award is $3,800, Sherman said. The maximum is $25,000. That program does not take into account the finances of victims.
For another program, family income is considered when deciding if the government will pay to replace items lost in flooding by renters or homeowners.
What's made available
Nationally, about 35 percent of people seeking that kind of assistance are awarded an average $2,400 cash grant.
Many who do not qualify for cash are offered 30-year, low- interest loans, Sherman said. Low-interest loans also are available for home repairs and to cover losses by small businesses, he added.
Other federal programs cover rent for people who were displaced from their homes.
Officials plan to work through local emergency management agency offices to distribute the telephone number for reporting damage, (800) 621-3362. The number is answered from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
A FEMA inspector will look over the damage, and checks are generally issued in seven to 10 days, Sherman said. People have 60 days to apply.
FEMA also may reimburse 75 percent of public expenses from the disaster, including damage to public property and overtime for safety officials in the disaster area.
The cost of the flooding to local governments in Mahoning County is estimated to be $1.8 million. The estimate in Trumbull County is $4.2 million.
State officials are seeking to have Columbiana, Stark, Carroll and Cuyahoga added to the list of counties in the disaster area. The cost of the disaster to Columbiana County governments was $667,000.
siff@vindy.com