From the Pritzker Administration:
Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments Teams to Visit Cook, Will, Boone, and McHenry Counties in Early September
SPRINGFIELD–In order to verify damage from the storms and flooding that occurred August 16-19, preliminary damage assessment (PDA) teams will go door-to-door on Wednesday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 7.
These teams will include representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), along with local emergency management personnel.
PDA teams are surveying details of damage to homes and possessions, which could include HVAC and water heaters, so that IEMA can pursue all potential avenues of assistance.
“Our joint damage assessment teams are working diligently to document the full scope of storm damage, including essential household systems such as HVAC units and water heaters,” said IEMA-OHS Acting Director Theodore (Ted) Berger.
“While there is no single dollar amount that guarantees a federal disaster declaration for Individual Assistance, FEMA evaluates several factors, including the level of uninsured losses and the capacity of local resources to support recovery.
Our priority is to assess as many homes as possible to help determine if federal assistance is available to help families and individuals in the recovery process.”
While meeting with the PDA teams is important, IEMA-OHS cautions residents to be wary of scam artists who may prey upon storm survivors.
Facts about joint PDAs:
- Joint PDA staff will have photo identification
- Teams do not enter your home
- PDA teams do not use contractors or ask for payment for anything (https://ready.illinois.gov/after/beware-of-scams.html) (https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/Consumer-Protection/Home-Repair/)
- Bilingual staff will be available
- There will be multiple teams working across multiple counties
- Data collection is for the local municipalities to qualify for assistance, so don’t worry if you don’t get a visit
- Contact your homeowners or rental insurance to learn if you are covered, and if so, by how much.
All partners in damage recovery will continue to work with non-profit organizations to ensure resident needs are being met in the aftermath of the storms.
