When is FEMA coming?

[jes]

This sounds so petty, but I am a little concerned about the huge mounds of tree limbs and leaves in the front of everyones yard. It hasn't rained here since Ivan and the mounds are so dry. One tossed cigarette would cause a large fire in the front yard. I haven't seem a FEMA truck yet. How long did it take them after Frances and Charley to get to you.

[drudd1]

I was not aware FEMA was doing the actual cleanup, but I may be wrong. The counties were and are handling it here, and there are Federal Grants to help pay for outside contractors to help. It has been an ongoing process, and here in Central Florida, it has gone amazingly quick considering the huge amount of debris. They are not done, but work continues.

[CajunMama]

From past hurricane experience, FEMA does not pick up the debris. Check with your city/county government on their debris pickup policy.

[Brent]

Here... the city comes by once a month roughly and picks up the limbs. We've got a huge pile too(Frances, but mostly Ivan), but we did get a good soaking yesterday from Jeanne.

[baygirl_1]

Jes--
Are you in Mobile? If so, it's my understanding that the City of Mobile has already started picking up the debris. It's taking quite a while because of the large volume of debris. I have not heard anything about outside contractors being hired for the city. Outside contractors will be used by Mobile County to handle debris removal outside city limits. FEMA is supposed to be paying part of the bill for debris removal to help the city and county cover the costs.
I agree: things are pretty dry here and, in some areas, the debris piles completely line the street. I shudder to think what a tossed match or cigarette could do. It might help to place the sprinkler you use to water the yard and garden where it can also water the debris pile (I'm doing that as I type this!).

[Anonymous]

Fema is in Jacksonville--been here since Frances at the Nat'l Guard Armory on Normandy and theres a Lit up sign on the side of the road that says Fema Staging area. Not sure what exactly they do as Food Lion was the ones giving out water here today and the city is cleaning up/restoring electricity.

[tronbunny]

Interesting..
The contractors that we had cleaning up after Charley..then Frances (up 'til 3 days ago) were from Alabama.
It didn't even hit me that they should have been back up there for Ivan!
Now what will we do after Jeanne, if they go home now?

[yzerfan]

If no progress is being made, track down your city/county commissioner. They're the people who issue the debris removal contracts.

The people in my neighborhood who have been picking up tree debris have Arkansas plates on their trucks. They're making good progress, so maybe they'll move on to Central Florida in a couple of days.

[jes]

Please Tronbunny - we neeed our guys back for awhile.

Baygirl - yes, I'm off Grelot. So Mobile has not hired additional help. Well, I sure hope it rains soon, because this is a dangerous situation.

[BaltimoreGirl]

When we got hit with Isabel last year, the county came in and helped with the cleanup, not FEMA. It took almost 8 weeks before all the debris was gone(and we only had one tropical storm, not 4 hurricanes) Some of the neighbors, in order to expedite the cleanup, rented dumpsters and removed their own debris.The county reimbursed them up to $400 for the removal. Some of the insurance companies also allowed for debris removal on their policies. Tree removal companies were backed up for months.The same went for roofers and contractors. Some of my neighbors are still waiting for their homes to be built.

I think many people have the feelng that FEMA is much more than they really are. FEMA is a governmental agency to help financially after the storm. For the general public, They generally set up centers in affected areas, and help guide the homeowner to resources (although a few days after the storm, I had a FEMA volunteer knock on the door and ask whether we needed food, water, or any other supplies-really nice guy from Puerto Rico, became a FEMA volunteer after his family had lost everything in a hurricane)

I've heard folks here complain that FEMA didn't clean up or replace their house, but that's not their job. There job is to come into an area where there has been a disaster and coordinate with available local resources(county/state agencies) for the population directly after that disaster, and assist monetary emergency grants to provide temporary housing for displaced folks and for emergency repairs (here, the average grant was about $5000 from FEMA and that was for folks that were left virtually homeless). FEMA has also provided trailers to residents who did not want to leave their properties. Local and state agencies also alotted emergency grants/loans for residents. The Red Cross was also in our neighborhood daily for about 2 months. They brought hot meals, ice, and water. FEMA will also match you up with federally based loans, so that you have the possibility to rebuild, if you did not have insurance.

Oh forgot to add, the day after the storm, the county put dumpsters in different areas affected by Isabel for the homeowners to haul their own debris to deposit into.

edited too darn many times for my bad spelling, sorry.

[cinlfla]

This sounds so petty, but I am a little concerned about the huge mounds of tree limbs and leaves in the front of everyones yard. It hasn't rained here since Ivan and the mounds are so dry. One tossed cigarette would cause a large fire in the front yard. I haven't seem a FEMA truck yet. How long did it take them after Frances and Charley to get to you.

Umm, we had to pay someone to haul ours off. The only thing Fema will do is reimburse you for moneys spent, that insurance will not cover. Cindy

[dixiebreeze]

I think a lot of folks would like to know just what FEMA actually does. It is a federal bureaucracy and as such, requires a lot of paperwork before acting. It also makes grants to local governments that apply (and some to the worst stricken victims). The local governments then use the funds to pay for administrating the money and contracting with various firms, etc.

For the most part, FEMA seems to be an agency that sets up shop to offer forms to fill out.

That's not to say that agency does nothing good, but I don't think most of it is on a personal level.

[sea oat]

I hate to disagree with you dixie but FEMA has been very active here in the panhanle since Ivan hit. BaltimoreGirl up a couple of posts stated very well what FEMA'S mission is.

If someone is having a problem with their yard waste I would recommend just sitting it on the side of the road and calling your city/county folk.

p.s. I'm sure there are ppl looking for firewood for this winter

[yzerfan]

I'm actually wondering if the county's going to offer us all free mulch made from all the trees and tree bits they've had to grind up after pick-up. The bits have to go somewhere, and with all the talk of a possibly cold winter ahead, I could use the extra protection around the roots of my remaining citrus trees.

When I lived in Michigan, they'd go the free mulch route with past prime Christmas trees people dropped off every January.

[wayoutfront]

The only thing Fema will do is reimburse you for moneys spent, that insurance will not cover. Cindy

boy

its great how all you experts are helping the dis- information

I hope noone takes informatin like this seriously

http://www.fema.gov for actual facts

[cinlfla]

The only thing Fema will do is reimburse you for moneys spent, that insurance will not cover. Cindy

boy

its great how all you experts are helping the dis- information :roll:

I hope noone takes informatin like this seriously

http://www.fema.gov for actual facts

Yes, I am expert by now, What I was referring to was for debris removal. I should have been more detailed, Yes they will reimburse you for a generator and a chainsaw they will also give you living expense money but they will not give you money for things that is covered by your insurance company if debris removal is not covered they will help with that after you submit a letter from your insurance company saying that they will not pay for it.