Deadline to report flooding damages fast approaching
The deadline to report water damages to your homes from the recent flooding to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is fast approaching.
The Dubois County Emergency Management Agency is imploring everyone to report damages by going to the following link:
https://oas.dhs.in.gov/hs/damage/ia-public.do?method=active&incidentId=IA20170509102318
They are looking for the following criteria:
- 18 inches of water or more on the first floor of home
- 18 inches of water or more in a basement with essential living quarters such as a bedroom, kitchen or living room
It is extremely important to report your damage as we are trying to show the State of Indiana the magnitude of the damages received in Dubois County, according to director Tammy Humbert. The number of reports that have been reported thus far with the above criteria are not adequate to meet the required threshold to apply for assistance from the state or federal government, she added.
Many homes impacted by the flooding were not insured for flood damages and the assistance will help those homes.
I don’t understand the criteria. It seems to me that it doesn’t matter whether you had 5″, 10″, or 18″ of water in the fixed out basement living area, the damage is done. The carpet and the wood floors need to be replaced. How many times do the residents of Eisenhower or Hasenour Avenues have to suffer this damage before something is done? I am upset, very upset!
This latest request does more to dissuade or discourage folks from reporting than to encourage it. Still, it doesn’t read like mandatory criteria to me – and in the beginning they were wanting people to report “any” damage – so folks should just report it, if not already. It can’t hurt.