So I had my FEMA inspection today...

[HurryKane]

I won't go into all the details but I will tell you something very interesting my inspector said:

"FEMA says the work is drying up now. They just pulled 40 people from working here and sent them home."


Now, I know quite a few people who haven't been contacted/inspected by FEMA. The inspector also thought that the pullout was a mistake, because the inspector also knew people living near them that haven't been contacted by an inspector, either.

Crazy.

[CajunMama]

I had a fema inspector in my shop yesterday. According to her they are given (at least in NO) a specific zipcode to work. My thinking is that those inspectors are possibly finished with their assigned area.

[HurryKane]

This one was going all over Hancock County (just today was D'head, Pearlington, and Waveland). We're not an overly populous county but dadgum pretty much everyone in it got at least a little something from the storm.

That would be interesting if the zip code thing is true here. I was talking to someone from Pearlington yesterday who lost everything and has yet to hear from FEMA. Maybe my inspector is headed his way today.

[TSmith274]

I had a fema inspector in my shop yesterday. According to her they are given (at least in NO) a specific zipcode to work. My thinking is that those inspectors are possibly finished with their assigned area.

I think you're correct. I was extremely lucky in Algiers and just had a few shingles missing. I was contacted for a FEMA inspection. I can't understand why they are inspecting homes that aren't damaged, or at least trying to. I'd guess that these inspectors are being paid for each inspection, unfortunately. Why else would some inspector insist on inspecting my home when I told them nothing was wrong with it? Kinda makes you think.

[Ixolib]

...And speaking of FEMA - I'm now proud to announce that they have made me and my wife quite happy. Just yesterday (12/08), they finally came through with the funds we will need to get this house whole again. If not for FEMA, there is NO WAY we could repair and remodel from the damage of Katrina. No way at all...

[Lindaloo]

...And speaking of FEMA - I'm now proud to announce that they have made me and my wife quite happy. Just yesterday (12/08), they finally came through with the funds we will need to get this house whole again. If not for FEMA, there is NO WAY we could repair and remodel from the damage of Katrina. No way at all...

That is great!!

[Ixolib]

...And speaking of FEMA - I'm now proud to announce that they have made me and my wife quite happy. Just yesterday (12/08), they finally came through with the funds we will need to get this house whole again. If not for FEMA, there is NO WAY we could repair and remodel from the damage of Katrina. No way at all...

That is great!!

Thanks, Linda... One day, one step at a time!!!

[Lindaloo]

That is all you can do. Just remember, you are not alone and we are in this together! (((HUGS)))

[Ixolib]

That is all you can do. Just remember, you are not alone and we are in this together! (((HUGS)))

Great point, and thanks... I keep telling my wife (who is taking this aftermath much harder than I am) that very same thing. My way of dealing with the traffic, the lines, the wait EVERYWHERE, the rebuilding, the limited access to EVERYTHING, only one bridge out of Biloxi, and ALL the debris everywhere is to keep telling myself that "we're not alone in this process".

And as an addition to the above, I went to Butch Oustalet Ford in Gulfport today because the key in our brand new Escape (our other cars - four of 'em - all floated away) is stuck in the ignition!! Foolishly thinking I could get someone to look at it kinda quick, I pulled in and was rudely told by the service writer that I'd have to leave it for at least 7 days as there are 300 others already in front of me in line!! He then went on to tell me that they're the only Ford dealership open and everybody's got their own problems. Boy, haven't we heard THAT story about a zillion times since 08/29!!

Oh well, guess that key is just gonna be stuck right where it is for the foreseeable future!!

[MGC]

FEMA rejected my claim because I have insurance. Didn't get anything for evacuation assistance either. I called the FEMA hot line and asked if there was an appeal process. I was informed there was and I sould include my insurance settlement and relative documentation and a letter requesting a review. So, I'm in the process of that. Glad to hear someone is getting something from FEMA.....MGC

[Ixolib]

FEMA rejected my claim because I have insurance. Didn't get anything for evacuation assistance either. I called the FEMA hot line and asked if there was an appeal process. I was informed there was and I sould include my insurance settlement and relative documentation and a letter requesting a review. So, I'm in the process of that. Glad to hear someone is getting something from FEMA.....MGC

I have insurance too. But not flood and that's what FEMA covered that State Farm would not.

In any event, we had to stay on FEMA like white on rice. So, persistence is the key. In our case, it made all the difference in the world and we now see some light at the end of the tunnel...

[southerngale]

That's great, George! I'm glad to see you on the road to recovery and I feel for your wife. It seems a lot of people are handling the aftermath of these hurricanes really hard, while others seem to do much better. FEMA just granted $300,000 to a crisis counseling center here in SE TX to hire 20 more counselors to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees and Hurricane Rita victims.
I had a unique insurance situation that I'm not going to go into, but after years of paying insurance, I wasn't covered. Long story. Anyway, I had to submit something from my insurance company to FEMA and I just got that done, so now I'm waiting on them.

[Ixolib]

That's great, George! I'm glad to see you on the road to recovery and I feel for your wife. It seems a lot of people are handling the aftermath of these hurricanes really hard, while others seem to do much better. FEMA just granted $300,000 to a crisis counseling center here in SE TX to hire 20 more counselors to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees and Hurricane Rita victims.
I had a unique insurance situation that I'm not going to go into, but after years of paying insurance, I wasn't covered. Long story. Anyway, I had to submit something from my insurance company to FEMA and I just got that done, so now I'm waiting on them.

Thanks, Kelly. I hate hearing about those "unique" insurance issues that seem to be popping up everywhere, but as Linda says, realize you're not alone in that mess. I can only imagine it "is" a long story!!

Keep hope alive on the FEMA thing. Even though the wheels turn v-e-r-y slowly, I believe they will make good with the folks who have a true need for assistance. In our case, their "contribution" covered virtually everything the insurance didn't - including two cars that had liability only and all the insulation & sheetrock throughout.

But, if I didn't know how to do all the installation and labor myself, the check would not have covered it... So, as much as y'all can do on your own, the better off you will be. Contractors are a f-o-r-t-u-n-e!!

[jusforsean]

I had my FEMA inspection on the 7th of December the man walked around cold and wouldnt take my papers or nothing. Now I find out that he wrote on his report that my damages werent hurricane related and didnt even take one picture. Is he crazy? we lost most of our home entire roof, car port, screen room, living/dining area my daughters ceiling collapsed and the floors in the living, dining and kitchen are caving in from the water damage. We had ins but i did not know that they depreciate and they didnt give me enough to fix my home not to mention replace the furniture after and the floors and flooring and insulation. I have 3 kids under 7 and am depending on there help can you imagine not hurricane related?? I filed a complaint but that doesnt help they said it would be another 2 months of they decide to send another inspector. Unbelieveable. Merry x-mas to me.

[MGC]

I mailed off my appeal letter yesterday. Hopefully FEMA will agree with me. You only have 60 days to file an appeal from the date of FEMA's letter so don't procrastinate.....MGC

[MSRobi911]

MGC, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but don't hold your breath. I have yet to hear from a FEMA "inspector"..well they brought me a trailer on October 31st and we finally got the keys to it the week of Thanksgiving...does that tell you what a finely tuned machine FEMA is? I assume we were rejected because we had insurance, yes we had flood, but flood does not pay for "loss of use" as does your home owners insurance. So no money from FEMA for "living expenses" and no money from The National Flood Insurance Program for "living expenses", now the flood insurance did send me a check for emergency use, but they took it off the top of our claim for contents which they paid our policy limits in full. We had no problems with the Flood Insurance people, now Nationwide Homeowners...that is another story entirely! The first adjuster, if that is what you want to call him, came on October 21st. He said he would have to send a "structural engineer" to look at our slab to decide why my house is gone and I have nothing left. Well, Mr. Structural Engineer came on December 20th...just 2 short months after the adjuster and 4 short months after Katrina blew through here.....oh yea, I got a really good one....he has a masters in structural engineering and a masters in meterology....wonder what he is gonna say. I showed him some web sites that he didn't know existed.....maybe that will help...probably not!



Mary

PS I also referred him to Storm2k.org

[Dionne]

We have property at 3 locations in southern Mississippi. All 3 were damaged by Katrina. All 3 were insured. We contacted FEMA for additional help. On one property we voluntarily withdrew application. Our business location flooded from torrential rains, not storm surge......the property is not located in a known flood zone. Because of insurance FEMA denied us help there. Our home near the coast got hit primarily by falling trees. We lost every tree on the property except for one lone survivor. The home survived.....although it had to be evacuated for more than a month. I am convinced if it had not been for the full hip roof design......we would have lost the cottage. The net result was that FEMA money issued to debris removal contractors took away all the downed timber.......but we had to cut it away and haul it out to the street.