Businesses, undocumented residents encouraged to report flood damage
The heads of fire departments, social services, ministries and other groups that mobilized after the February flood got together to compare notes Friday in a meeting hosted by
She said she recently learned that the
At last count, 1,322 homes across the county were identified as being affected by the rains and high water, she noted, the highest number in the state. Regardless of the level of damage, she said she needs to hear from everyone in order to have a complete picture of the damage and financial toll.
"It doesn't matter -- if you were affected by flooding, there is help and we want to get help to you," Tobey said. "Even if you have only an inch of water, you may not qualify for assistance but reporting it is going to help everyone."
People can contact her office at 574-891-2238.
For those eager to get started on recovery, she advised them to take photos of the damage and keep their receipts from repair work.
"We are not gonna stop you from trying to get back to a sense of normalcy," she said. "You're not gonna bother us if you keep asking. If you have questions, call us."
One segment of those affected that they need to hear more from is businesses, Toby noted, since any store or restaurant forced to close by flood damage represents a number of people who've lost their jobs, affecting the economic health of the county.
She also noted that one of their unmet needs as they move into the long-term phase is Spanish-language interpreters. She admitted it was embarrassing that they couldn't communicate with some callers and had to take their phone numbers and call them back when they had a translator available.
"We need an assessment regardless of status," Hostetler said.
Also during the session,
The city established the Flood Restoration Grant fund and provided up to
The program provides two types of grants to
Repair grants will cover the cost of eligible repairs, determined after LaCasa makes a home visit, draws up a list and engages a contractor for the work. Reimbursement grants for eligible repairs or replacement purchases will be given, according to a fee schedule, after all repair grant applications have been approved or after
Applications can be picked up at
For more information, contact
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