Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and federal disaster agency officials say help is available for Metro Detroit households impacted by June flooding—but navigating the process takes some work.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already disbursed $48.9 million in grants to Detroit-area flood victims, including $29 million in the city alone.
Households face a September 13 deadline to apply for federal assistance. It’s only available to those who are uninsured, or in cases where insurance didn’t cover the total extent of their losses.
Duggan said those losses can’t include things like furniture or other non-essential items. Instead, they must be items or damages that rendered the home unsafe or unlivable. “Basically furnaces, hot water heaters, electrical damage, sewage and mold…those kinds of things will be eligible,” he said.
Duggan admitted that many people who have applied got denials from FEMA, but said that’s not the end of the road.
“Denial letters are often not final. I know how much we’ve heard about this,” Duggan said. “But they may just mean you need to submit more information.”
Duggan urged impacted people to seek help with their paperwork from one of FEMA’s five disaster recovery centers in and around Detroit.
