Flood victims already getting FEMA checks

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

By late Monday, FEMA had released $875,591, or an average of $3,116 per person, FEMA spokesman Eugene Brezany said.

"We don't know what the final amount of disaster payments will be," Brezany said. "The people filling out applications for assistance numbers 2,238. We're uncovering new damage every day and there will be more applications."

President Clinton declared Carson City and surrounding counties disaster areas, qualifying them for federal assistance, after rivers and streams overflowed their banks nearly two weeks ago.

Warren Pugh, federal coordinating officer for the relief effort, said all programs administered by FEMA are free to disaster victims.

"Anyone who suffered losses in the disaster and can document their reimbursable losses and expenses will get the money they're entitled to," he said. "You don't have to hire anyone to help with the process."

Flood victims can apply for assistance by calling a toll-free number, 800-462-9029. A FEMA inspector will then inspect the damaged property, usually within 72 hours.

FEMA Director James Lee Witt said property owners who have been hard hit by flooding shouldn't assume the danger has passed. Instead, they should buy flood insurance to protect themselves against any future floods.

"There's a 30-day waiting period before a flood policy becomes effective and we don't want people to miss out on this protection because they figure they have plenty of time," Witt said.

California suffered back-to-back flood disasters in January 1995, leaving many people who thought it could never happen to them again in bad shape, he noted.

Flood coverage is available only through the National Flood Insurance Program, administered by FEMA. More than 3.5 million policies are in force nationally, representing nearly $380 billion of coverage.