Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994 TAG: 9402150209
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RENEE SHAFER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Regional Assessment Center is taking calls from residents in Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem and Vinton to decide whether damage is severe enough to warrant seeking a presidential declaration of emergency.
Structural damage that is insured; damage to trees, shrubs and vehicles; and business losses from closings are not included in the assessment.
Gov. George Allen's office will decide whether to ask for a presidential declaration based on the assessment.
The phone bank was in operation between noon and 8 p.m. Monday and will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. today.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, there had been only a handful of calls reporting a total of about $10,000 in damage. Most callers reported water damage to walls, ceilings and basements. There were several reports of gutters damaged by ice.
"The state doesn't have an emergency fund. If the people are not insured, then they will have to pay for the damage themselves, unless the localities are willing to help them," said Michael LaCivita, public relations manager for the Virginia Department of Emergency Services. "Chances are, though, if the state doesn't have the money, then neither do the localities."
LaCivita said that it is still too early to tell if the governor will need to ask for a presidential declaration. Even if Allen makes the request, there is no assurance a declaration would be granted.
Allen declared a state of emergency Friday.
Twenty-one jurisdictions declared local states of emergency over the weekend, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Services. In the Roanoke metropolitan area and the New River Valley, that included Bedford, Bedford County, Pulaski County and Radford. In the far southwest, that included Buchanan, Lee, Scott and Wythe counties.
Once a locality exceeds its ability to respond and can no longer handle the emergency, it can ask the state for assistance. If there is justification, the governor can ask the president for a declaration, which would allow businesses and residents to apply for federal assistance through loans and grants, said Wanda Reed, Roanoke's coordinator of emergency services.
The Roanoke Valley suffered less damage from the storm than did surrounding localities. "We usually can tell the amount of damage by the number of fire department responses. So far, we've received few calls," said Larry Logan, emergency services coordinator for Roanoke County.
According to William Clark, director of public works for Roanoke, damage from the weekend's storm was not as bad as that caused by the March 1993 blizzard. "Aside from considerable tree damage in the parks, we haven't seen any structural damage on the roads. They are all passable, except for a few icy spots," Clark said.
"Even if there hasn't been a lot of damage in the valley, we need to make the assessment so that we know how much damage has been done and who might be eligible for a loan," Reed said.
The Assessment Center asks that residents and businesses get in touch with Their insurance company before calling, to determine if their damage is covered. Reed said that there will be staff from real estate assessment offices to answer questions and help people report damage.
ROANOKE VALLEY residents with uninsured damage to report should call the Regional Assessment Center at 981-2273, 981-2417, 981-2391, or 981-2609, today between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
by CNB