The Pierce County Emergency Operations Center will begin today collecting damage information from homeowners and business owners affected by this week’s winter storm. Residents and business owners in Pierce County that suffered damage should call the Pierce County Damage Assessment Center at 1-866-798-6363 (toll free) Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Callers should have the following information available:
- Name and address of affected property
- Contact information (cell phone, relatives phone number, “new” mailing address)
- Type of insurance (homeowners)
- A description of damage, even if uninsured
- A personal estimate of uninsured losses
- Estimates of the fair market value of the damaged home or business (it is not necessary at this point for property owners to have a contractor’s estimate)
The findings from this assessment will be used by the Governor to request a possible disaster declaration and federal disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This process could take up to a couple of weeks or more. FEMA disaster assistance, if and when it becomes available, only covers uninsured losses.
Among the immediate steps that individuals and families should take include:
- Call your insurance agent to check on your coverage
- Keep detailed records of all clean-up and repair costs, including photographs
- When the time comes to make repairs, be aware of local permit requirements and do a thorough check of potential contractors
Visit Pierce County’s Blog for up to date emergency information: http://blog.piercecountywa.org/emergency/
