Preliminary damage assessment underway in Macomb County, others impacted by storm damage, flooding
(CBS DETROIT) - Federal assistance could be on the way to many communities in Michigan following severe storm damage.
"We're going through, and we're going to be talking to homeowners to see what kind of damage they sustained so that we can give state and federal officials an accurate picture of what happened here in those two communities during those storms," says Brandon Lewis, the director of Emergency Management for Macomb County.
Lewis says beginning Monday, FEMA, Michigan State Police, county officials, and others will be in Chesterfield Township and New Baltimore for preliminary damage assessment.
"Please talk to them, please describe to them what your damages are because the more accurate the information is from our home and business owners during this process, the more likely it is the governor's office, our office, the congressional delegation, everybody involved may be able to make a good case for that federal disaster assistance to come back this way," Lewis says.
As for what that assistance could look like if it reaches the White House and is approved, Craig Browning, an external affairs officer for FEMA said: "Whenever that comes back, if it is approved, it'll open up individual assistance. Which is just that, it's for individuals. It could be low-interest loans, it could be FEMA grants, it could be housing assistance, rental assistance, that type of thing."
Browning says there's currently no timeline on relief as Tuesday marked the first day FEMA is in town.
MSP says this period of preliminary damage assessment will last until Friday, Sept. 22, and the next steps will be determined from there.
