Responses requested from property owners and renters with flood damage

Editor’s note: A version of this ran in Monday’s online edition of Havre Daily News.

Montana Disaster and Emergency Services has put out a survey for property owners and renters in the area who’ve had flood damage this year, a survey that will hopefully help get them some assistance from the state and from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Hill County DES Coordinator Amanda Frickel said the survey takes about five minutes and is for anyone with a property that has sustained flooding damage in 2023 that isn’t already covered by insurance.

Frickel said she heard that some home and business owners had gone to the city asking for help repairing flood damage at their homes and businesses but were told the city couldn’t do anything as they didn’t have flood insurance.

She said she knows a number of businesses, including Havre Beneath the Streets, Stockman Bank, Norman’s Ranch and Sportsware and Northern Home Essentials have all sustained significant damage and a lot of property owners affected don’t necessarily qualify for flood insurance.

So, she said, she went to the state and was told they and FEMA might be able to provide help to businesses, homeowners and renters if the total damage was bad enough.

She said it’s not a guarantee, but the more data and evidence they can compile indicating the extent of the damage the better chance they will have of getting help.

Should they meet the requirements, Frickel said, FEMA would be the primary organization offering assistance but the state would also likely contribute as well.

She said renters, even though they don’t own their properties are encouraged to respond as well.

She said she knows that there can sometimes be a disconnect between renters and the owners, who sometimes live in a completely different state, and if the renters tell her office about the damage, they can get in touch with property owners directly to tell them about it.

They are hoping to have all the data collated by early July, she said, so the sooner people can get the survey the better, along with a few photos of the damage to give them an idea of how bad their situation is.

Frickel said the county itself is in the process of requesting aid from the state and federal government as well and more information from local people can only help.

She said two FEMA teams have come to Hill County to assess damage to the roads and bridges and the county has all their data into the state and are waiting on confirmation that Gov. Greg Gianforte has formally requested the federal government declare a disaster and authorize FEMA to help.

She said she should know more early this week.

Frickel said the process of getting all of this damaged addressed is long and she understands why people are so anxious to get work started, but she wanted to assure everyone that the county is working as fast as possible to make it all happen.

If anyone has any questions, she said, they can email her at [email protected].

The survey can be found at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e224ea3b49ec4a3ca6483d57c61362ff .