FEMA rejections vex April storm victims

By Mike Oliver, The Birmingham News


BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The tornado turned Jonathan Stewart's house into a pile of rubble on April 27, nothing but bricks and debris scattered ovei a concrete slab.

Days later, an inspector from the Federal Emergency Management Agency came to Stewart's address in Pleasant Grove, and took some notes and pictures. Three days later, Stewart received a letter stating he didn't qualify for a FEMA grant. One of the reasons: Insufficient damage.

'Based on your FEMA inspection, we have determined that the disaster has not caused your home to be unsafe to live in,' the letter read.

The reaction of Stewart and his wife: 'Lisa and I looked at the letter and laughed,' he said. Similarly, Lashunta Tabb's house in North Smithfield Manor has three damaged outer walls, it's stripped of its siding, and more than half of the roof is gone.

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The roof of her trailer was peeled off and the only room left covered was her bedroom. There was also damage to the walls. The FEMA inspector told her it was liveable. She tried to live for a few days but mosquitoes and heat drove her out. She moved into a shipping container she uses for her fireworks business.

It was a horrible time for her. She had 5 dogs and FEMA kept wanting to move her into an apartment about 60 miles away. Of course the apartment complex didn't take dogs so she refused. It took her about 4 months before they finally, grudgingly put a FEMA trailer on the property