FEMA door-to-door assistance brings hope for Michigan homeowners hit by severe weather
GIBRALTAR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Federal money is up for grabs after President Joe Biden recently approved disaster relief for nine Michigan counties, including Wayne County, that were hit by severe weather last August.
FEMA is now on the ground in those areas and went door to door in Gibraltar on Friday, helping homeowners apply to get that money.
Today, there are still reminders of the EF-1 tornado that swept through Gibraltar on the night of Aug. 24, 2023.
Cynthia Rogers won't soon forget the mess it made.
"Our basement was flooded, our roof was flying off everywhere, our gate that we have dividing our house in the neighbor's house was all busted up," Rogers said.
Her insurance only covered a fraction of the repairs, causing her to dip into her savings.
"The roof was almost $12,000. And they gave us $4,500 for the roof and then some on our fence–we got a guy that did a really good job, you know, just goodness of his heart almost, and it was a lot less so, and we paid that out-of-pocket too," Rogers said.
Rogers may end up getting it back after receiving a visit from FEMA workers who walked her through the application process to receive disaster relief.
"I'll just do it on the phone, and then an inspector will come. So I thought that was really great. They explained it nicely," Rogers said.
During the registration, FEMA will ask for your social security number, insurance information, proof of damage, and how to reach you.
"The registration deadline is April 8, so we have between now and April 8, so the numbers will change, and they'll continue to grow," Larissa Hale, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said.
"This is remarkable. This is very nice. I never expected anything like this. I just thought as seniors, you know, that's what happens," Rogers said.
If you live in the affected areas and missed one of these visits, you can reach the FEMA disaster assistance team at 1-800-621-3362.