[StBernard] damage assessment

[Westley Annis]

Jim,

It boils down to one of the problems with the language of the Stafford Act.
It is designed strictly to restore to pre-damaged condition.

The parish faces the same problem.  All of the wastewater treatment plants
were damaged, so FEMA will help to restore them.  Never mind the fact that
it would save $1 million or so to abandon all of the existing plants and
just build the new one that the council has been working on for the past
couple of years.

40 years ago when the Stafford Act was passed, I guess Congress just didn't
realize how much things would improve even though the US had just come out
of one the biggest innovation cycles we've ever had.  Then again, when the
Stafford Act was passed, we were still recovering from Lyndon Johnson and
the Vietnam War.

Westley

-----Original Message-----


Okay, I guess this goes back to the fact that we were not "substantically
damaged"
GAWD!!   Of course we''ll need to work with the insurance inssurancepector
after we finish the work so we can add to the insurace amount.  LORD!!
Incredible!! We want to make the house more energy-efficient and we'll be
penalized!
 
Jim
 



	-----------------------------------------------------
	JY,
	
	These improvements will count and most likely push you over the
limit.
	Here's a couple of FAQ's directly from FEMA 213 / Answers to
Questions About
	Substantially Damaged Buildings
	
	24. Q. What happens when a structure is damaged, but not
substantially, and
	during the repair the owner also makes an addition, rehabilitation
or other
	improvement to the structure?
	
	A. It is not uncommon for a homeowner who has sustained damage to
his/her
	structure to decide to simultaneously improve the structure while
repairs
	are being made. For example, the owner of a building which was 30%
damaged
	in a flood will, while repairing the damage, have an additional room
(30%
	improvement) constructed. Under circumstances where two types of
	improvements (e.g., an addition and repair due to damage as given
above) are
	made to a structure, and the combined total of these improvements is
equal
	to or greater than 50% of the structure's pre-damage market value,
the
	structure is considered a substantial improvement.
	
	---
	
	Unfortunately, the booklet I'm quoting doesn't have any other
examples other
	than adding a new room. Common sense says you should be ok, but we
are
	talking FEMA here and not common sense.
	
	Break some items out of your estimate. You never need a permit for
flooring
	or cabinet work, so that can always be added "later". You won't have
a FEMA
	inspector come to your home, so just do what you need to do, then
once you
	are back in your home, sit down with your insurance agent and make
sure you
	don't need to make any changes to your flood policy becaue of
improvements.
	
	Westley