Alabama tornado recovery: FEMA rejections vex April storm victims

[thundley4]

Jonathan and Lisa Stewart and their children, Haley and Noah, lost their house in the April 27 tornado that devastated Pleasant Grove. After a FEMA inspection, they received a letter from the agency saying the damage was insufficient to qualify for a grant. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The tornado turned Jonathan Stewart's house into a pile of rubble on April 27, nothing but bricks and debris scattered ovei a concrete slab.
Days later, an inspector from the Federal Emergency Management Agency came to Stewart's address in Pleasant Grove, and took some notes and pictures. Three days later, Stewart received a letter stating he didn't qualify for a FEMA grant. One of the reasons: Insufficient damage.

Obama Hates White People.

h/t to DU . Only one reply in that thread.

[RightCoast]

It does look like most of the deck is intact...

[Freeper]

And they wonder why we don't really want the federal govt making our health care decisions for us.

I can see it now, we have determined that the terminal cancer you have isn't bad enough to require treatment, go to CVS and buy some Tylenol.
 

[JohnnyReb]

Greedy rich people! They expect Obama and Me-Shall to give up the stables, $100 a pound steaks and weekly vacations so they can have a house....can you imagine that.

[Bondai]

I don't know...I don't want any of my tax dollars going to rebuild someones house especially when they live in the middle of tornado land. The federal government should not be involved at all, it sounds a lot like a personal insurance issue to me. Just sayin'

[debk]

I don't know...I don't want any of my tax dollars going to rebuild someones house especially when they live in the middle of tornado land. The federal government should not be involved at all, it sounds a lot like a personal insurance issue to me. Just sayin'

This was meant as sarcasm, right?

In the first place, Alabama is NOT considered to be in the "middle of tornado land".

Secondly, if one has a mortgage, one must have homeowner's insurance, and should that insurance lapse, the mortgage company is notified immediately and gives the homeowner about 30 days to acquire new HO insurance or they will do it for the homeowner - at a very high rate. If the homeowner's mortgage is more than 80% of the value of the house, the mortgage holder, pays the HO insurance(along with property taxes) because these funds are included in the monthly house payment.

Third... FEMA is also an intermediate provider of housing between the devastation of the property and the restoration of the property. NOT all situations that FEMA goes into, are like New Orleans. FEMA will provide housing to people until their homes can be rebuilt. If the home is insured, temporary housing expenses are covered for the homeowner...usually to a certain limit.

If an INSURED home is destroyed by a natural disaster (including fire from a forest fire or similar) and the home is in a county that has been declared a federal disaster by the president - which is the ONLY way that FEMA funding is provided - all monies received by the homeowner,  from the insuring company - MUST be paid back to FEMA. The only exception is for personal property - furnishing/clothing/etc - unless the homeowner received money from FEMA to get those items also. However, personal item reimbursement from insurance company is usually kept separate from the construction repair check, and is paid sooner than the construction check.

IF an individual receives money from FEMA - the individual is then REQUIRED BY FEMA - to obtain homeowner's insurance, or renter's insurance. Should they not get insurance, and are hit by a disaster again - regardless of the amount of damage - FEMA WILL NOT HELP THE INDIVIDUAL A SECOND TIME! 

FEMA will only help a second time, to a non-insured person or an insured person - if the individual can show proof of insurance. If the individual does not obtain insurance, after FEMA's first time help, they better hope disaster never hits them again.

FEMA will pick up the difference between what insurance pays and what the actual costs are...with regard to the dwelling, and somewhat on the personal items. It will help cover the homeowner's deductible.

Natural disasters can hit anywhere....whether it's tornado, hurricane, flood or fire. And it doesn't have to be any of those either. My county has been declared a FEMA disaster area due to a severe hail and windstorm the end of April. We were declared due to the estimated dollar amount of damages in the county. There are 116 houses in my subdivision and at a minimum - every single one of them is getting a new 30yr dimensional roof, gutters and downspouts. Many have broken windows, destroyed decks, siding, etc. Tennis ball size hail does an incredible amount of damage!  Everyone in here has homeowner's insurance, too, and I doubt that there is anyone who will be applying to FEMA for funding. The insurance adjuster that came to my house, said he had never heard of such widespread and severe damage due to hail.

No one is immune to natural disaster, regardless of where they live in this country.

[compaqxp]

FEMA makes another bad decision. In other news grass is green.

[Bondai]

FEMA, just another free hand out at someone elses expense.compaqxp you sound as if you have experience with FEMA.We have to get over this idea that the government is always there with a big check everytime something happens.We are either going to have less government in our lives or we aren't, we can't have it both ways.

[thundley4]

FEMA, just another free hand out at someone elses expense.compaqxp you sound as if you have experience with FEMA.We have to get over this idea that the government is always there with a big check everytime something happens.We are either going to have less government in our lives or we aren't, we can't have it both ways.

Isn't part of FEMA giving emergency loans to cover things until the insurance companies get their act together?

[debk]

Isn't part of FEMA giving emergency loans to cover things until the insurance companies get their act together?

Yes.

If a person has insurance and accepts FEMA help....they must pay FEMA back once the money arrives from FEMA.

Insurance companies don't hand over huge checks to the homeowner for the repairs. Depending on the insurance company and the amount of the repairs, determines how the checks are made out. If the checks are somewhere between $5k and $10k, the check is not only made out to the homeowner, it's also made out to the mortgage company. Depending on how the repairs are being done, the contractor is also on the check. By putting the contractor on the check, it can save steps in dealing with the insurance company, and locks in the repair costs.

Also depending on the damage, and how extensive it is, temporary housing may be needed, and that's also where FEMA steps in, until the insurance company starts paying. When there is widespread damage in an area, it takes a while to get everything organized. The adjuster that came to check out our damage, was sent here from Wisconsin, to help out. It is not only tough to get contractors scheduled, there's a serious supply problem for materials. So much major devastation in such a short time all over the county, is delaying repairs for lack of materials.

Here's a list of just the disasters, since the first of this year! 
http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema?year=2011#sev1

[Bondai]

We obviously have some FEMA defenders here, that's fine. I just don't think it's right.People need to re-learn how to get along without the Feds stepping in and holding their hands, 911 is another example of the government stepping in and paying millions of dollars to families...nonsense.

[thundley4]

We obviously have some FEMA defenders here, that's fine. I just don't think it's right.People need to re-learn how to get along without the Feds stepping in and holding their hands, 911 is another example of the government stepping in and paying millions of dollars to families...nonsense.

I was only defending the loan part that FEMA does in these widespread disasters.  I thought it was wrong for the fed to pay out for 9-11 survivors, too.  I never understood how parents could be granted money for an adult child.

[debk]

I was only defending the loan part that FEMA does in these widespread disasters. 

Me, too.
I took two of FEMA's training modules, to qualify to work on disaster teams, a couple of years ago. That's how I know how it works. New Orleans was just a mess - that's the nicest way I can think of to phrase it - and has made it look like FEMA is a lifetime annuity for anyone who gets help from them. 

I thought it was wrong for the fed to pay out for 9-11 survivors, too.  I never understood how parents could be granted money for an adult child.
[/quote]

I don't remember all the details about why the government paid out for the 9-11 survivors. I thought it had something to do with an act of war and also because US airplanes were used, the planes left from US airports monitored by federally run TSA and air traffic control. I remember reading something about if the next of kin took money from the government, they had to sign a document stating they would not file or participate in any lawsuit, against the US government or the airlines.

It would seem logical that parents would be beneficiaries of the deceased, if they are the next of kin. I think next of kin is ranked spouse, child, parent, sibling, blood aunt/uncle, cousin.