CRISFIELD, Md.- FEMA representatives are reminding Somerset county residents that they can appeal to the agency if they were denied money or are unhappy with the amount the received. People have 60 days to appeal after receiving the decision on their original FEMA application for assistance.
According to FEMA officials, oftentimes a simple mistake on the original application can lead to a request for money to be denied.
"A lot of times when they see the heading on the letter that they've been denied assistance, that's where they stop reading the letter," said FEMA Spokesperson Mike Wade. "We tell people continuously to go through the whole letter."
Common mistakes include not leaving a good contact number or filing an incorrect address for the property that was damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Appealing to FEMA extends not only to those who did not receive any money, but also those who believe they need more to make necessary repairs. Officials say the best place to start the appeal process is at the Disaster Relief Center in Crisfield.
"I encourage people to go down there and sit down with our individual assistance people and so that they can help them through that process and explaining what they need to do to get their application moving again," said Wade.
The most important aspect of the appeal process is providing FEMA with information that was not originally disclosed in the registration process or when the FEMA inspector initially surveyed damage. The deadline to make this appeal is 60 days after receiving notice about your original application for assistance.
