Agency assists Warren brothers; others who need help should call

The men just bought the house about a month before the flooding.
& lt;a href=mailto:dick@vindy.com & gt;By DENISE DICK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Five days after brothers Michael and Mark Callion called the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance in repairing their flood-damaged basement, an inspector contracted by the agency arrived to review the damage.
Michael, 22, said he called FEMA Aug. 7; the inspector called him Aug. 8 and arranged to inspect the home Tuesday morning.
"You guys were quick and on the ball," Michael Callion said Tuesday to inspector Mark Parr.
The brothers, along with their friend, Brandon Martin, 22, just moved into their Southern Boulevard house July 1 from an apartment complex.
"It was the basement that sold us on the house," Michael Callion said.
When heavy rains ravaged much of the Mahoning Valley on July 21, that basement filled with 13 inches of flood and sewage, resulting in about $10,000 damage. Their insurance policy for sewage backup covered about half the damage, and they're hoping FEMA disaster funds cover the rest.
Another flood
More water flooded the basement about a week later.
Parr, who works for Parsons Brinckerhoff of New York under contract with FEMA, walked with the brothers, carrying a a small computer to log the damage. Parr started conducting FEMA inspections in 1995 and has completed 20,000 throughout the country in that time.
A FEMA badge around his neck designates him as a legitimate inspector.
"This is where it all started," Michael said, indicating the laundry room.
Paneling, furniture, a washing machine, video games, a keyboard and DVDs were among items lost.
Michael was at work when the trouble started.
"My friend was in the basement and he said, 'Is this normal?'" referring to water coming into the basement, Mark, 20, said.
It wasn't.
He grabbed a dust pan and started scooping water into a trash can.
"At first, I didn't think it was that bad," Mark said.
The trash can filled quickly, and he switched to a larger container. Then he called for reinforcements.
"After 20 minutes, I called my mom and told her I needed some kind of pump," Mark said.
Help
Edward Callion, Mark and Michael's uncle and a retired contractor, and their father helped the brothers install temporary downspouts and a sump pump. They've already ripped out the paneling and disposed of a lot of the flood-damaged items.
Michael and Mark also have helped neighbors install downspouts.
"We wanted to help the community," Michael said.
Parr advised them to get tetanus shots if they haven't received one in the past five years.
Items damaged by flood and sewer water can be a breeding ground for bacteria, said Robert C. Glenn, chief of public affairs for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. Residents shouldn't keep them, he said.
Number to call
Karl Suchman, a FEMA spokesman, said anyone with flood damage should call FEMA at (800) 621-FEMA to register for assistance. Callers will receive a packet of information to fill out. It typically takes a week to 10 days after the initial phone call before an inspector comes to the house and another week to 10 days before a check is received.
Even if a resident doesn't think the damage is significant, Suchman said, they should call. "We want people to call no matter what," he said.
Suchman made an analogy to a car involved in an accident with damage that appears minimal on the surface. "You don't know what's under the hood," he said.
denise. & lt;a href=mailto:dick@vindy.com & gt;dick@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;