FEMA starts with aid application process

Local News

September 4, 2012

FEMA starts with aid application process

By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer The Picayune Item Picayune Item Tue Sep 04, 2012, 11:31 PM CDT

PICAYUNE —

People affected by Hurricane Isaac’s flooding can begin to apply for federal and state aid now that two disaster recovery centers have opened in the county.

A center is located at the National Guard Armory in Picayune, 1251 B. U.S. Highway 11 South, and in Poplarville at the Baker Maid Building, 403 S. Main St.

Two areas in Picayune were hit the hardest. Homes in Westchester and homes on the east side of town near East Canal were most affected, said Fire Chief Keith Brown. An exact number of flooded homes is still being compiled.

Residents displaced from their homes can apply for temporary housing similar to what was offered after Hurricane Katrina. The major difference is this program will not use travel trailers such as those used after the 2005 storm. This time FEMA has lined up HUD manufactured housing, said FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate. Those types of homes still will need to be placed in an approved zone within the city, such as in a mobile home park.

There is anticipation residents will ask for permission to park the temporary housing in front of their flood-damaged homes so they can conduct repairs easier, Sen. Angela Hill said. Fugate said the city’s administration has to decide whether to allow temporary housing to be parked front of a damaged home. No matter where the temporary housing is located, it will be available only for 18 months.

Many people will be applying for aid and filing insurance claims to try to recoup what was lost in the floodwaters. Fugate said FEMA will handle each case on a case by case basis, but for the most part those with the most need, the unemployed and uninsured, will qualify for grants. Affected residents who have a job and bought insurance most likely will receive a Small Business Administration loan packet instead of a grant to cover what was not insured. Fugate expressed concern that most people who receive the packet will immediately throw it away thinking they cannot afford the low interest loan.

However, if the packet is not filled out and submitted, those residents will not have access to any other federal or state aid, Fugate said. He did not elaborate on what other types of aid may be available. He did say that any uninsured losses could be written off on tax returns, even prior to the end of the tax year.

However, “Our program will not make people whole,” Fugate said.

MEMA has announced that the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can be applied for by residents affected by the storm or floodwaters. Applications can be submitted to the Department of Human Services office in Millard at 153 Savannah Millard Rd., Suite C.

Pearl River County and both municipalities also can apply for reimbursement of storm related expenses. If local governmental agencies provide proper documentation of the expenses incurred, they could be reimbursed within 30 to 60 days.

Fugate said he was visiting the area so he could get a view of how programs work from ground level, instead of from Washington D.C. Viewing how the programs work from the affected area allows him to see what works and what doesn’t. His plan is to have this event sorted out as soon as possible since hurricane season is far from over. “We’re in the peak of hurricane season,” Fugate said.

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