Can FEMA Help Repair Your Flooded Home?

1/14/2022 (Permalink)

A flooded home in South Garland, TX.

Can FEMA Help Repair Your Flooded Home?

A severe storm rolled through South Garland, TX, causing flooding. Your home suffered significant damage. You contacted your insurance company. Now what? FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, may be able to provide additional assistance.

Under its Individuals and Households Program, the agency can provide funds to assist with temporary housing costs, storm-related home repairs and other expenses. To receive aid, you must do the following:

• Meet eligibility requirements
  
• Complete an application
  
• Allow your home to be inspected
  
  

How Do You Apply for Assistance?

First, you need to determine if your county is included in the disaster declaration, a designation issued by the President. Individuals residing outside of specifically defined disaster areas are not eligible for FEMA assistance.

Everyone seeking aid must complete an application, either online, through the agency’s toll-free Helpline or at a Disaster Recovery Center. All applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or non-citizen nationals.

To prevent fraud, the agency will verify every applicant’s identity. Applicants will also be required to provide proof of ownership or occupancy of the damaged residence.

What’s Next?

After receiving your application, the agency will assign an inspector to conduct an onsite inspection of your home. The inspector will assess and document flood damage to your property to verify needed repairs. This vital information allows the agency to evaluate the assistance you may qualify for.

It is important to understand that any financial assistance received is intended to cover costs not covered by your insurance. Proper documentation of your flood-related insurance claims is part of the application process.

Once the inspection is complete, the agency will finalize your application and send written notice outlining the assistance you are eligible to receive. It will also provide specific instructions explaining how the funds should be utilized.

Victims of storm-related flooding face a daunting recovery process, often requiring extensive cleanup and restoration. Eligible individuals can, however, receive assistance from FEMA to alleviate some of the burden of this process.