FEMA AID
On a typical Wednesday, Teresa Jones of Albany visits her mother’s grave to drop off fresh flowers and reminisce on the times they shared, but on February 1, she was unprepared for the damages she found to the gravesite following the severe storms of January 21-22.
Jones’ mother’s grave was completely destroyed. A large pine tree fell on the grave, smashing the vault and allowing rainwater to leak inside the casket. Everything, including the clothing her mother was buried in was soaked with water and had to be replaced.
“When I saw how damaged her grave was, I started to worry about how I was going to get my mother’s grave repaired,” Jones said. “I remembered even after the storm passed, it was constantly raining and that’s when I saw the buildup of water in my mother’s grave.”
Jones reached out to Worth County’s Emergency Management Agency to see if there was anything that could be done to address the problem.
“When we arrived and met Teresa at the gravesite, she was crying,” said Chief Timothy Hayes, director of Worth County Emergency Management Agency. “She was concerned about her mother getting wet from the rain and the cost to get her grave back like it was more than anything. We wanted to help her as best as we could.”
After speaking with Chief Hayes and Worth County’s Emergency Management Agency, they encouraged her talk to FEMA.
“When I called FEMA, I explained to one of their representatives everything that happened and gave all the information I had,” Jones said.
She received an applicant number, and decided to go to one of the two Disaster Recovery Centers in Dougherty County so she could speak with someone in person. She gave the FEMA representative her applicant number and described the details of the damage to personnel at the DRC.
Makes A Difference
DISPATCH
By Christen Robinson
DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR FEMA AID FOR THE SOUTH GEORGIA TORNADOES, FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER IS MARCH 27!