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Damage assessment letters being mailed
FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports on Tampa city officials announcing they have begun mailing almost 2,000 substantial damage letters to certain homeowners who suffered hurricane-related flood damage to their homes.
TAMPA, Fla. - The city of Tampa is starting to mail out some 1,900 substantial damage letters to certain homeowners in flood hazard areas, officials announced Monday.
The letters, which are a FEMA requirement, will notify homeowners if their homes suffered substantial damage, meaning the cost to repair the house is more than half of its value. If that’s the case, the home cannot be repaired without meeting current floodplain and code requirements. This is sometimes known as the FEMA 50% Rule.
An example of what a substantial damage letter from the city of Tampa looks like.
Shortly after the hurricanes, the city’s code enforcement and construction services teams drove around the city to assess damage to homes. In some cases, crews knocked on doors and went inside houses. Additionally, the city said residents self-reported damage.
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"I think we all know our areas of greatest damage: Palmetto Beach, Davis Islands. There was some in Culbreath in the West Shore area," City of Tampa Development and Economic Opportunity Administrator Abbye Feeley said. "So if they are in those flood hazard areas, most people know who those are."
Tampa residents who receive one of these letters should know that this substantial damage assessment is just preliminary, according to the city.
Flood damage in Palmetto Beach from one of the hurricanes.
"That doesn't mean you are [substantially damaged]. Just means that when we did the original assessment right after the storm, that is how the inspectors saw it either from windshield survey or from approaching the property with the property owner," Feeley said.
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That’s because a final substantial damage determination will come after further assessment. In fact, the next step for homeowners who receive the city’s letter is to fill out the Substantial Damage Determination Form that comes with the letter, which will give homeowners an opportunity to provide more information.
A final substantial damage designation won’t be made until down the line, according to the city. However, structures ultimately deemed "substantially damaged" can mean homeowners may be required to elevate them.
Instructions on how to fill out the substantial damage determination form that the city provides with the letter.
"We're not here to tell everyone that they have to tear their home down and everybody has to elevate," Feeley said. "We're here to say, let's look at the damage together. Let's do the calculation and let's see what the options are for them."
These letters are part of a process that ensures the City's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides a significant reduction in the flood insurance premiums.
If you have already applied for a permit to fix your structure, then that substantial damage determination form was already completed as a part of the permit process.
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