Disaster Recovery Guide | Wind Rain Flood

The period following a disaster presents significant challenges. Use these initial steps to guide your actions after ensuring everyone is safe.

Immediate Safety & State Declarations

• Register your household with federal, state, and local agencies.
• Your state governor's office will request a Presidential disaster declaration.
• The request includes a preliminary damage assessment of public infrastructure.
• An Emergency or Major Disaster Declaration will initiate federal assistance.

Recommendations for Relief

• Return to your property only when it is safe.
• Do not move debris until the exterior damage is fully documented.
• Contact your insurance adjuster before clearing your home.
• Take photos with a camera that embeds a date and time stamp.

Thorough documentation is crucial for insurance claims and potential grants.

Exterior Documentation

• Start at the street sign and move closer until your home is visible.
• Photograph your mailbox from the street with your home in the background.
• Walk completely around your home, capturing full side views from a distance.
• First 360‑degree pass (6 pictures): mailbox, street sign, front view, right side view, rear view, left side view.
• Second 360‑degree pass (closer details): take one picture every 10–15 feet around the home, 10–20 feet from the structure, overlapping images.
• Ensure high‑definition pictures with date and time stamps.
• Do not edit your pictures smaller, as this may remove location and timestamp metadata.

Interior Documentation

• Ensure the structure is safe before entering.
• Have a companion with a light to assist with visibility.
• Be aware of surroundings due to storm damage.
• Take pictures every few feet, documenting all personal property before touching or moving anything.

Even when clearing debris, meticulous documentation is vital for recovery.

Documenting Items for Debris Pickup

• Document every item taken to the curb for debris pickup.
• For insured items, document everything for full replacement cost recovery.

Detailed Documentation for Replacement Value Coverage

• Photograph the item.
• Photograph serial numbers, model numbers, and other identifiers.
• Research market value of used items online.
• If used items are not found, search retail value and apply your insurance company's market value adjustment percentages.

Applying for financial aid involves multiple agencies and careful consideration of loan offers.

Essential Applications for Financial Assistance

• File claims with all insurance companies.
• Register with FEMA.
• Complete the SBA Disaster Loan Application. Do not accept the loan offer immediately; understand your options first.
• File for housing assistance with FEMA and your state.
• File for volunteer assistance from non‑profit and faith‑based organizations.
• Locate centers for food, hot meals, ice, water, fuel, and personal items.

Critical Advice on Home Repairs and Funding

• Do not hire help until you understand funding sources and permitting requirements.
• If FEMA determines your home is damaged more than 50% of its market value, contact your building permit office.
• Create a temporary housing assistance plan within 72 hours of displacement.
• Do not defer mortgage payments if assistance is secured or you can pay normally.
• Operation Blue Roof is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and funded by FEMA.

Most people lose 33% of their net wealth after a major disaster. Without sufficient private insurance, many resort to loans, which can impact grant eligibility.

Determining Financial Status to Reduce Disaster Recovery Debt

• Determine grant eligibility before accepting loans.
• Federal loans can be considered a duplication of benefits; accepting an SBA loan may prevent grant eligibility.
• Collect previous years' tax returns and determine total household income.
• Estimate Area Median Income (AMI) using HUD formulas.
• Create a cloud spreadsheet to track expenses and needs.

Insurance Policies and Legal Advocacy

• File claims for all insured property and vehicles.
• Seek an insurance litigation lawyer to review claim amounts.
• Work with contingency disaster insurance lawyers.
• If your lawyer wins, their fees will not count as a duplication of benefits and may be reimbursed through HUD CDBG‑DR grants.

Discrepancies in Grant Allocation

• Governors announce grant allocations as achievements, but homeowners often receive less.
• HUD targets 95% of funds for low‑income households, but states often request waivers.
• Homeowner assistance often falls below 20% of original allocations.
• In Louisiana, grant funding was capped at $300 million for three hurricane recoveries, assisting far fewer homeowners than in 2016.

State's Role in Disaster Debt Burden

• States often shift disaster debt burden onto homeowners.
• Most impacted areas with more low‑income households face worse outcomes.

The One‑Year Mark and Government Focus

• Around one year post‑disaster, most individuals remain in temporary housing.
• Between year one and two, states often claim delays in federal assistance due to focus on Public Assistance Cost Share programs.

Community and Information Sharing

• Individuals turn to social media groups for information.
• Some groups offer free advocacy; others are for‑profit or non‑profit.
• Disaster recovery programs follow playbooks often amended to reduce homeowner funding.

Information Gaps from Non‑Profit Organizations

• Limited resources restrict the advice they can offer.
• Disasters require specialized groups that may not collaborate effectively.
• Lack of interoperability among agencies due to separate training.
• Information may not be easily accessible.
• Focus on immediate needs may reduce long‑term planning.

Patience and Perseverance

• Patience and perseverance are crucial during the long recovery process.
• Understanding available assistance for housing, repairs, and other needs is vital.