Remember me I am the person who called constantly after putting in a request for a trailer on September 10th. Forwarded you all the necessary paper work two and three times as requested. Still my case sat in the eternally pending section. Called you before having to return to my home in Harvey, which was full of mold and had structural damage and informed you of a need for rental assistance or a trailer in front of my house. Faxed you a copy of the doctor’s letter telling you it was not safe for my son to live there, and the letter from State Farm basically telling me it was not their problem. Did I get a response, nope, even after repeated phone calls. Had to return to Harvey in order to continue paying my taxes to fund your program, and continued to hound you in order to receive some assistance. Each time got a different story and a different request for information. Then in the middle of the night I have to rush a 20 month old baby to the emergency room because thanks to the wonderful help of my insurance, local and federal government I received no assistance, and guess what it happened. Just what the doctor warned you of, he stopped breathing. Well, well thanks to the only person on earth who would help my family god pulled us through. The doctor from Children’s Hospital in New Orleans faxed you pleas on my son’s behalf. Did you respond? Yup, you declined me for everything. Said I didn’t have enough damage and what I did my insurance covered. Look again we are coming out of pocket nearly $60,000. Plus I came solely out of pocket on the two and half months we were evacuated. No job and no income just savings. Finally fed up I start emailing, faxing, and calling every congressman, parish president, councilman, school board member, president of the US, etc constantly pleading for one little thing a trailer. You could have shoved your money where the sun doesn’t shine for all I cared. I just wanted a safe place to put my child. There were no apartments to rent by the time we came back, and we are supposed to give up our jobs which are the only source of income and lose our children’s health insurance in order to stay in Texas? Five months later I finally get a call telling me my trailer application has been processed and it will be 2 to 3 more months before they can put it on site. Gee, does me a lot of good by then my husband and I’s sleepless nights of working on the house will be done and complete. Keep your stinking trailer and stop withdrawing your portion of my federal taxes because obviously my family does not meet your description of a deserving family.

I see many people complaining they only received the $4300 and I sympathize with them, but I received nothing, zilch, zero, nada from FEMA. So what makes me and my family so undeserving of the same as everyone else?

Murray

I am very upset with fema I was denied they said I had insufficient damages but my roof was damaged causing terrible damage to my master bedroom my room put me in the mind of the movie color purple I had buckets, pots every when in my bedroom I had clothes,shoes and etc. to get messed up during the storm I have sent in 2 appeals this has been since sept. I received a letter back in October saying it was in the appeal office and I calls to check on the status and they have not reached a decision yet. I also applied for the sba loan I was declined for it so I have not received any help from fema but I know of lots of people they didn’t have any damages but got anywhere from 2000.00 to 8000 for no damages so I want something for my damages or my personal properties.

- Carolyn Isaac

I recently received a very intimidating letter from FEMA. It stated that if $1224.91 wasn’t repaid that the money would be taken from various sources of income that I might receive in the future. My name would go to various credit agencies and pretty much that my life was ruined.

This debt was a result of an emergency room visit during Hurricain Frances. My wife , who doesn’t go to emergencies rooms unless she is almost dead or is having a baby, got stressed out, went to the emergency room, had me drive her to the airport and stayed with her mother in New York State until the power was restored and life became more normal.

This bill was not covered by our health Insurance because of the deductible. FEMA paid us for the stay . Then FEMA asked for it back because they claimed it was covered by our insurance so I was being paid twice.

I responded by sending to FEMA the hospital bill, the statement from her insurance company showing that the emergency room stay wasn’t covered and proof that we did indeed pay the bill. I might add that when we applied for the payment in the first place, we submitted all the above mentioned documentation.

Receiving this demand letter in spite of all my documentation has me very scared of my government for the first time in my 64 years on earth and in America. How do I defend myself? If they can just arbitrarily say anything they want and rather I comply or not , they can destroy me, what has this country become?

- Patrick DeLessio

Some insurance companies have been red-lining areas, such as my neighborhood and issuing the full value of all policies in that area, rather than sending an adjuster. Other companies have been sending adjusters and settling claims based on the actual losses incurred.

The problem with this is that the money comes from the same place. The National Flood Insurance Program. This is an unfair practice that really has been allowing many people to hit the jackpot with little damage while other people are having to quibble over every cent they need to receive their coverage.

These companies using the redline practice should have to collect money back from their insurers or pay the money back to the flood insurance program themselves.

- Jay Dufour

I LIVE IN D’IBERVILLE, MS. I LOST EVERYTHING 4FT DOWN CARS INCLUDED. I WANT TO KNOW WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE FORTUNATE TO GET THEIR APPLICATIONS PROCESSED WITHOUT GRIEF, AND THEN THE UNFORTUNATE ONES LIKE MYSELF HAVE TO FIGHT WITH EVERY BREATH TO GET WHAT LITTLE WE CAN FROM FEMA. I KNOW SOMEONE THAT IS A RENTER AND SHE DIDN’T LOSE ANYTHING, STILL LIVES IN THE HOUSE WITH HER FAMILY AND ONLY HAD ROOF DAMAGE WITH A LITTLE MOLD FROM THE RAIN. SHE RECEIVED 26,000 FROM FEMA!!! MEANWHILE I HAVE HAD TO FIGHT AND APPEAL FOR THE 2ND TIME TO GET 4500? THIS MAKES NO SENSE TO ME! I KNOW THAT I AM FORTUNATE TO ONLY GET 4 FT! I AT LEAST STILL HAVE A STRUCTURE, BUT WHY IS IT THAT THOSE OF US WHO REALLY NEED THE MONEY TO FIX OUR HOMES GET SH*T ON? I GOT DENIED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY, DENIED BY SBA, AND NOW BEING DENIED BY FEMA! I HAVE HAD 3 FEMA INSPECTORS FOR THE SAME JOB! ALL BLAMING THE OTHER GUY FOR NOT DOING HIS JOB! 1ST GUY WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE AND WROTE EVERYTHING DOWN WRONG! 2ND GUY JUST HAD ME SIGN THE SAME PAPER THE OTHER GUY DID AND LEFT. HE DIDN’T GO IN THE HOUSE. 3RD GUY DID THE INSPECTION FROM THE OUTSIDE…NEVER WALK INSIDE..BLINDS WERE PULLED DOWN ALSO..WHAT COULD HE REALLY SEE? PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY IT TOOK 3 PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME JOB WRONG? I AM NOW APPEALING FOR THE 2ND TIME. I’M JUST SO TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS! I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MY LIFE BACK..BUT ON THE OTHER HAND..I HAVE A LIFE TO GET BACK..SOME WERE NOT SO FORTUNATE! I JUST DON’T WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO FORGET ABOUT US ( MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST!)! IF YOU ARE READING THIS FROM ANYWHERE NOT AFFECTED .. YOU REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALL WE ARE DEALING WITH! WE APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP BUT WE REALLY NEED MORE! DON’T FORGET ABOUT US !

SINCERELY,
4FT DOWN.