FEMA, SBA approving millions for Sevier County wildfire victims

Jan. 13--It's a story Federal Emergency Management Agency inspectors have seen sadly repeated hundreds of times in the past month or so.

On Thursday, an inspector arrived at what was once a three-story, three-bedroom, 1,550-square-foot cabin in the woods to find Bob and Stephanie Sweeney sifting through the rubble of their home.

The Sweeneys, like hundreds of other Sevier County residents affected by the Nov. 28, 2016, wildfire, have applied for FEMA and Small Business Administration assistance to recover.

They had made the home their permanent residence just four months ago after coming to the area from West Tennessee on vacation for years.

"We came here and we planned on staying," Stephanie Sweeney said.

After application is made for a FEMA grant and/or a SBA loan, FEMA sends out an inspector to determine the extent of damage. The agency then decides on award levels, usually either that the house or business is declared totally destroyed or only partially damaged.

The Sweeney's residence, off the Spur between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, was a total loss. All that was left was the foundation, a tall chimney and a lawn ornament of a smiling mountain girl. The homes in their neighborhood were all done in antique logs. The Sweeneys' logs came from Cumberland Gap in northeast Tennessee. Those logs are all just ash now.

Josef F. Pietraszuk has been one of eight FEMA inspectors in the area. They started inspecting homes on Dec. 18. FEMA sends in inspectors after an area is declared a natural disaster area; Sevier County was declared so on Dec. 15, 2016.

Pietraszuk said almost half of the homes set up for inspection were inspected in the first week. A total of 95 percent of the homes set up for inspection have had those inspections completed.

Pietraszuk said he has done more than 100 himself. He was doing the Sweeneys' inspection Thursday.

Bob Sweeney said, like most, he was unsure and a little nervous about applying with FEMA.

"It's the government and there are always strings attached -- that's what most people think, that's what we thought," he said, "but after talking with them at the recovery center they seem to really care."

"FEMA is not an insurance company," said Bettina Hutchings, FEMA regional external affairs officer. "It (a FEMA grant) is not going to make things whole. Once we reach what we can apply in a grant then SBA can come in and maybe make it whole."

"We are all just a piece of the puzzle," SBA spokesman Richard Daigle said.

Insurance is another part. The Sweeneys said they have good insurance, but they have been concerned that it will not cover the cost of not only the home but everything in it.

"We were hesitant to even come (to FEMA) because we had homeowners' insurance," he said. "But, every day I was thinking of something else I had lost in the house. We found out we were under-insured for what we had. That's not saying anything against my insurance because they have been great. But, as the head of the household I really wanted to make sure I had all of my bases covered."

Sweeney is in landscaping. He had built a great business over 20 years in West Tennessee, but he was just beginning in Sevier County. Most of his clients are in his neighborhood and also lost their homes. So, he lost 80 percent of his business.

He has found himself in an unusual spot. On the good side, he had made his Sevier County home his permanent residence just four months before the fire. Had his home not be so designated, he would not have been eligible for any FEMA assistance.

On the bad side, he has had trouble securing any loans because the thriving business he had in West Tennessee can no longer be pointed to as a reason to lend him money.

It's in such a spot that FEMA can come in handy.

The agency has approved 320 grants thus far, valued at $2,321,442, with $1,271,254 for housing assistance and $1,050,188 for other needs assistance. The SBA has approved nearly $3 million in loans to residents and small businesses.

Joint help centers still are open at the Gatlinburg Community Center and at the Pigeon Forge Factory Outlet directly behind the Country Music Store for those seeking federal assistance.

Bob Sweeney has managed to find a huge silver lining in what his family has been through, mainly because of the generosity he has found since the fire.

"A year that was so dark and gloomy and fearful -- all of a sudden after the worst thing that happened to me in my life it just suddenly became so bright," he said. "I have been overwhelmed with the support we have received."

FEMA Warning: In a news release Thursday, FEMA officials warned fire victims who have received federal assistance that the money they receive must be used for the purpose it was granted.

"Improperly using the funds could violate the declaration survivors sign to receive the grants and could result in future assistance being denied," FEMA states in the release.

When applicants apply for the money they must sign a declaration and a release certifying that all funds will be spent on the expenses for which they were intended.

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