The Federal Emergency Management Agency will not be providing aid to those affected by last weeks floods in Gilmer and Pickens counties.
Early Thursday morning, more than six inches of intense rain poured on the two north Georgia counties. The rain caused already swollen creeks and rivers to overflow, leading to flash floods that damaged about 50 homes, trees and roads.
However, the extensive damage is not enough to qualify for aid from FEMA. To qualify for aid in Georgia “there must be more than $13 million in uninsured damage,” according to Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ken Davis. The total amount of damage was unknown, but it will not reach the mark, he said.
Another factor to qualify for federal aid is the number of homes severely damaged. FEMA guidelines suggest 582 uninsured homes would have to be severely damaged, GEMA spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said.
“But in Glimer County there were only 29 homes with major damage or destroyed,” she said. “And only one structure in Pickens County was severely damaged.”
Seventeen of those 29 severely damaged homes were second residences and do not qualify for federal assistance, Davis said.
Even though there will not be federal assistance, the Gilmer County Emergency Management Agency and other organizations have connected with all affected residents and are providing them with assistance.
Gilmer County Fire Chief and EMA director Tony Pritchett said there have been a lot of donations from private and faith-based organizations.
“We are trying to take those donations and give them to residents who need assistance,” Pritchett said. “We are giving out a lot of bottled water and cleaning supplies.”
He said they have been able to help everyone who has asked for assistance, but are still accepting donations.
Anyone who wants to donate should bring supplies to Fire Station One at 325 Howard Simmons Road in Gilmer County.
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