OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance might not cover as much as you think.
That's what Lourdes Gil of Okeechobee County is learning after her FEMA disaster assistance claim was denied twice, with little to no explanation.
Gil said during Hurricane Ian, strong winds knocked over the awning in front of her RV, which she lives inside permanently, causing it to fall on her roof and break a hole through her ceiling.
“Everything blew out. My awning, half of it blew out, as you can see, it’s all broken," Gil said, as she showed NewsChannel 5 crew the damage. "It went on top of my ceiling, and [the awning] was jumping up and down. That’s where it hit the top of my roof."
Gil, who goes by Lou, filed a disaster assistance claim with FEMA, but said when a representative came to look, her claim got denied.
"He denied it, saying there were 'only a few scratches,'" said Gil.
Gil said, on the advice of the local disaster assistance office in Okeechobee County, she appealed it, and even called in a licensed appraiser to asses the damage.
"With pictures and everything," Gil said. "Everything came out to $13,000 to $14,000, plus what you have to pay him for the services.”
Even with that high cost, to her surprise, it still wasn't enough to get assistance.
"The appeal was looked at on Dec. 3 and it was denied," Gil said.
When asked about her reaction to the second denial, Gil said she could only think of one other option.
"Call you [NewsChannel 5]," she said.
NewsChannel 5 reached out to FEMA, who told us they are looking into her claim to see why it was denied, to hopefully at least give her some answers.
A spokesperson for the agency also said there are a number of reasons someone's application might be denied, and West Palm Beach insurance claim attorney, David Murray of the Murray Law Group, echoed the agency's words.
"Disaster assistance is assistance, it’s not the same as providing an insurance policy," Murray, who has worked as an insurance claim attorney for over twenty years, said. "So while it provides some assistance, it does not provide protection like an insurance policy does."
Data from FEMA shows after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, the agency did approve 5,210 disaster assistance applications in Okeechobee and Palm Beach Counties. 698 of those were in Okeechobee County, resulting in $1,361,755 in assistance. The rest, 4,512 claims, were approved for Palm Beach County residents, resulting in $4,008,566 in assistance.
Yet again, the agency notes there are a number of reasons an applicant in a designated county could be found ineligible for assistance, including failure to provide proof of residency, missing or incomplete documentation of loss or damage, and missing homeowners or flood insurance claim information. By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits or approve applications if insurance claim information is not provided.
None of these appear to apply to Gil's case.
"It’s disappointing when people who need assistance most don't get it, but it’s a totally different program than an insurance company," Murray said.
Disappointment is an understatement for Gil, who got emotional speaking to NewsChannel 5 about her situation.
"Hurt," she said through tears. "This is the only place I have.”
The senior, who's currently receiving social security, knows without help, she can't afford the nearly $15,000 to get her home fixed, or afford to get a new one.
"Hopefully FEMA changes their mind," Gil said.
Murray said there is not much you can do about a denied FEMA claim, however, he does encourage homeowners who can afford to, to get insurance. He also encourages both homeowners with and without insurance to take pictures of your home and property both before and after a storm to make sure you can prove the damage actually occurred during the weather event.
