IKE FEMA Application

[patgaz]

I live & work on the east end of Galveston and am currently staying with my sister in Austin. I did as asked, sign up with FEMA and answered the questions honestly. When I submitted my application, I listed my damages as unknown. FEMA has denied my application and by reading the KHOU forum, this has been the case for several who listed damages as unknown.

There doesn't seem to be a way to modify damages estimates to the application online. Calling FEMA doesn't do any good; after you get through the press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then 1 for a new application, 2 to change or 3 to modify, you get a message stating there is no one to take your call and to go online.

For those who have been through this nightmare before.. Is this normal? Is there anyway to modify a previous application? What happens if you do a 2nd application?

[CoCo2]

I live & work on the east end of Galveston and am currently staying with my sister in Austin. I did as asked, sign up with FEMA and answered the questions honestly. When I submitted my application, I listed my damages as unknown. FEMA has denied my application and by reading the KHOU forum, this has been the case for several who listed damages as unknown.

There doesn't seem to be a way to modify damages estimates to the application online. Calling FEMA doesn't do any good; after you get through the press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish, then 1 for a new application, 2 to change or 3 to modify, you get a message stating there is no one to take your call and to go online.

For those who have been through this nightmare before.. Is this normal? Is there anyway to modify a previous application? What happens if you do a 2nd application?

It is normal. Don't do a second application as you will hold up your applications and it will get very confusing to have two FEMA numbers. FEMA initially denied my application after Katrina when I put damages unknown, however, a couple of weeks later, I did receive some emergency funding AND I was asked if I needed a FEMA trailer or FEMA housing. I didn't take it because I stayed with relatives.

For Hurricane Gustav, I put wind damage, etc... even though I didn't really know my damages because I had evacuated to Texas. When I returned home, I had no damage to my home, just tree damage. About 7 days after the Gustav, FEMA contacted me and did an inspection of my home. While the FEMA inspector was here, I told her I put wind damage, etc.. on the application because Gustav was headed right to me and I expected much worse. That I didn't mean to mislead anyone. She said it was no problem that they expect people to check those boxes without seeing their homes. That most people are initially denied because of what their original application states, but you won't really know anything until FEMA does an inspection.

Keep calling FEMA, because being on the east end of Galveston, I would expect you would have some damage. But don't do a second application. Having gone through this with Katrina, I would also expect that FEMA will be setting up some Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) where you could modify your application face-to-face with a FEMA representative. FEMA's call centers are overwhelmed right now, but don't give up. Just because you received an initial denial doesn't mean you won't get help, at least that was my experience. Good Luck to you!!!