Substantial Damage Estimates Begin Thursday

    The biggest issue facing some Central residents is whether they will be allowed to repair their homes.  Under Federal rules any home in flood zones A or AE which is 50% damaged must be raised to the Base Flood Elevation before it can be repaired.  The cost to raise a home, especially one built on a slab, would likely be prohibitively expensive.  The city has provided the following information on the process:
    There will be twenty Substantial Damage Estimation Teams in the City of Central working on this project beginning on Thursday. To avoid delays, ALL 3100 homes in Central that are located in zones A/AE that flooded will be assessed. This will prevent delays for thing such as slab elevation certificates being located, etc. The teams are FEMA contractors who are on the STARR Team, and will be badged to reflect that.
    Each assessment is expected to take about 20 minutes to complete, and the FEMA team leaders expect the work to start Thursday night in the Ridgewood Subdivision area for a training, and start in earnest Friday morning. They expect their work to take 8-10 days, with a completion goal of two weeks.
    The actual assessment of the house is basically an overview of the damage sustained, and is subject to appeal on a case by case basis.  The inspectors will be in possession of both official identification, as well as a letter from Mayor Shelton identifying them and their purpose.
    The city will update the City of Central Notification Facebook Page and the City website as information is received about where they are planning to work on the following day. If possible, it is beneficial for the homeowner to be there to open the house for the inspection, but not required. They will do the assessment from the exterior if the homeowner is not available.
    The Mayor added, “We are doing everything possible to minimize the effects on our citizens of this storm. We are working closely with our Congressional  Delegation to stop any talk of having to raise slabs. We want our citizens back in their homes as quickly as possible.”