Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Tracy Burnett
My client, Ms. T., lived in Biloxi, Mississippi with her three young children before Hurricane Katrina forced them to evacuate. When she returned to their first-floor apartment, she found the furniture and belongings unsalvageable as a result of the flood waters of Katrina. The mildew that had overtaken their belongings also posed a serious threat to her severely asthmatic daughter. Her apartment building was condemned by the City of Biloxi, an order that was enforced by armed law enforcement officers. Her apartment, with all of her belongings still inside, was later bulldozed without prior notice to her.
Incredibly, despite the fact that her apartment was condemned, barricaded, and severely flooded -- in fact, Ms. T. and the inspector had to sneak under the barricade when they met for the inspection -- the inspector's report stated that only 7 items in her apartment were damaged. The rest of the apartment, according to the report, was unaffected. This conclusion was reached despite the fact that the report also noted that the high water mark in her apartment was 7 feet. FEMA awarded her roughly $393 to replace her family’s belongings in their two- bedroom home. After two appeals letters and two affidavits, FEMA recently awarded Ms. T. an additional $9,000 in personal property assistance.