Trending
Information on how to appeal a decision with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available on Lycoming County's homepage at lyco.org, according to the county commissioners.
"If you receive a letter from FEMA stating you're not eligible for federal assistance or that your application is incomplete, you have 60 days from the date of the letter to submit the missing document or to appeal the FEMA decision," said Commissioner Scott Metzger.
A news release from FEMA cautions people to read the letter carefully because it will provide additional information on what needs to be done next.
For example, applicants may need to submit insurance documents or receipts, confirm their identity or provide proof of residency, or a document could be missing a signature, the news release said.
If an applicant disagrees with FEMA's decision, they may also file an appeal, which is a request to have FEMA review submitted files again. They also can provide new or additional information.
"You may appeal any decision by FEMA regarding your application for individual assistance, such as your initial eligibility decision; the amount or type of assistance provided to you; late applications; requests to return money; or a denial of continued temporary housing assistance," the release said.
An appeal should be an explanation of why you disagree with FEMA's decision and should also include: the applicant's full name, current address and damaged dwelling address.
It should also include on every page a nine-digit FEMA registration number, found at the top of the determination letter; the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number; and the FEMA disaster declaration number, DR-4815-PA.
Appeal documents can be submitted online, in person, by mail or by fax.
According to FEMA, all appeals are reviewed and decisions are usually made within 30 days of receiving the appeal, although it may take up to 90 days. Notification of the response to an appeal will either by mail or through the DisasterAssistance.gov account, which would have been created during the application process.
If there are any questions about a letter from FEMA, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3361.
In order to help area residents whose properties have sustained damage from the flooding related to tropical storm Debby, the county has been waiving zoning permit fees in the affected municipalities that partner with the county for a 90-day period, which began Aug. 9.
The county's Planning and Community Development department is also working with the zoning administrator to set up a town hall meeting in the Trout Run-Pine Creek area in order to go over the required permits people need to apply for while they are still at no cost.
"I'm not sure where we stand with how many permits we've received so far, but I know that we still need people to come to us for their permits to make sure. Especially in the floodplain, it's part of our floodplain management ordinance, so we have to be very careful with that," said Shannon Rossman, director at county planning.