When a household applies for FEMA assistance, FEMA representatives may need to verify disaster-caused damages and disaster-related losses for some categories and items, according to a news release Wednesday.
To get assistance to households more quickly, FEMA is using both in-person inspections and other methods such as geospatial information from satellite images, post-storm photos taken from the air, flood data and assessments made by search teams.
If an in-person inspection is required, FEMA will contact the applicant, schedule the inspection and walk through the home with the applicant to verify damage.
If the applicant does not want an internal inspection because of COVID-19 and/or other safety concerns, an exterior inspection can be performed and the applicant can provide information to the inspector about interior damage.