Rhode Island fails to qualify for FEMA aid after August storm

Sept. 01--Federal disaster aid will not be available to help pay for damage from the Aug. 4 macroburst thunderstorm because Rhode Island did not meet any of the criteria, officials at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency have determined.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has set the threshold at $1.41 per person statewide, or $3.56 per person for an individual county, based on the population in the 2010 Census.

RIEMA officials reported Monday that statewide damages totaled $838,536, which was $645,583 short of the $1,484,119 needed for the state to qualify as a whole.

By county, the shortfalls were bigger.

In Bristol County, only Barrington reported damage, at $73,224, falling $104,331 short of the $177,555 threshold.

East Greenwich, Warwick and West Warwick reported a total of $327,284 in damage, falling $264,238 short of the $591,522 threshold for Kent County to qualify. Warwick alone posted $282,900 in damage.

Newport County did not report any damage.

In Providence County, Cranston, East Providence, Providence and Scituate reported $430,527 in damage, falling $1,800,407 short of the $2,230,935 threshold. Cranston posted $227,914 in damage, and Providence posted $194,413.

In Washington County, only Charlestown reported damage, at $7,500, falling $444,545 short of the $452,045 threshold.

The numbers above do not include damage reported by individuals, which a RIEMA report said did not justify a federal request.

RIEMA spokesman Alexander Ambrosius said homeowners seeking resources to help pay for damages not covered by insurance could "contact their local municipalities to find out if they are aware of any alternative assistance efforts."

Neither Warwick's EMA director, Fire Chief Edmund Armstrong, nor Cranston's, Fire Chief William McKenna, said Monday they knew of any other resources, but both suggested that homeowners who have not yet reported uninsured damage could do so and they would keep the reports on file in case something opened up.

The form can still be downloaded from www.cranstonri.com/pdf/hottopics/RIEMA%20IDA%20v3.pdf.

Warwick residents can pick up and return forms to 111 Veterans Memorial Drive, or fax to (401) 468-4001. Cranston residents can pick up and return forms to 301 Pontiac Ave. or fax to (401) 467-1560.

Charlestown's EMA director, Kevin Gallup, said people can drop off damage reports at Town Hall. "I would then try to send it to the right place, but they would need to understand it's a longshot."

Gallup said he could envision federal support coming as food or energy assistance that might help R.I. homeowners while they're still paying storm-related bills.

The Aug. 4 thunderstorm "was clearly not the norm," he said. "Hopefully with climate change, it's not going to become the norm."

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