Has anyone ever worked with FEMA?

Obama approved my county for disaster relief for our flood disaster and I am not familiar with the process. I don't like people coming into my home but I think that is pretty much mandatory. I am a hoarder/clutter bug so not sure if the general disarray of my clutter will be a problem.

Nobody?

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Yoda, don't be a tad bit worried! I'm sure that no matter how bad you think it looks, they have seen much worse, I guarantee it.

You won't see that inspector again, so why care what he thinks, right? And you are just a line on his list of many, many appointments. (They won't take a picture of you!)

Your clutter will not have a negative effect on you qualifying for assistance at all.

That is how I've understood it. I've never had damage, but lots of my friends have.

I hope this helps.

Oh, wait. Depending on what you are applying for, a home inspection isn't even part of the process anyway. Are you applying to have repairs on your home? Then an inspection would possibly be done, but I've also heard they will accept 3 different quotes you get instead.

I don't know yet how much damage has been done. My septic tank is damaged but not sure if it can be repaired or will need replaced. The flood water came into my living room and garage which sit about eight inches lower than the rest of the house and I am concerned about possible damage to my heating/cooling ducts and water pipes but I have not yet been in the crawlspace because the only way to get there is through an opening in the floor of my bedroom closet and I have lots of clothes/coats and stuff on my bedroom floor from my everyday clutter. We have been working on clearing obviously damaged stuff so I have not got to that part yet.

I talked to FEMA yesterday at their mobile office near me and got some information and paperwork to start the process. They took some information and then told me to use their phone to talk to someone else from FEMA and she told me they would need my son and my social sec numbers and my bank acct number if we wanted direct depost (which we do because my post office got flooded and they are working from a camping trailer still). There were a lot of people waiting and I didn't want to give out that information that they could hear so I told her I would call from home.

It would be easiest for me to do it online but I don't have a working printer and previously used the printer at the local library but I cannot access the library yet because they are located in the shopping plaza where the bridge washed out.

My parents were awarded some compensation by FEMA, after the '94 Northridge earthquake.

As I recall ~ someone did need to come to inspect the property. To check the foundation of their home, as well as check to see if any damage did need to be repaired, in order to make their house livable again.

I don't know how long the process took.....but, it didn't seem to be very long to me.

Hope that helps you! ((((hugs))))

Thanks, shezbut.

FEMA has been to my mom's house. Initially they sent three men to inspect the damage and then they sent some woman that couldn't figure out how to cross the creek. She is "a government employee", says my sister (who is also a government employee but knows how to cross a creek)

Yoda, check out this page: West Virginia storm survivors should ?stay in touch? with FEMA | FEMA.gov

I don't know how/to whom you apply but maybe some of the links will help and give you more information or you can call the number and ask them?