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Blue Roof Program takes step to hasten post-Ida recovery efforts
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BATON ROUGE - Hurricane Ida survivors whose homes sustained roof damage now have more time to seek related post-hurricane assistance.
The deadline to submit applications to Operation Blue Roof has been extended to October 15.
ANNOUNCEMENT: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers #BlueRoof program sign-up deadline is extended through October 15, 2021 for the residents who sustained Hurricane #Ida damage in the 25 eligible parishes in southeastern Louisiana. Read more: https://t.co/SkFkrU0AMZ pic.twitter.com/svW1faocnW
— USACE HQ (@USACEHQ) September 29, 2021
Operation Blue Roof is a priority mission managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for FEMA.
It's designed to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until permanent repairs are made.
Carol Vernon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spoke with WBRZ's Dana DiPiazza Thursday and discussed one of the most important things a Blue Roof Program applicant should be aware of.
Vernon said, "Besides that the deadline has been extended, the most important part is once you've gone through the process of putting in your application, you need to track your confirmation number."
"At the end," Vernon continued, "you're going to see a confirmation number and there's going to be a pin number. If you track those two numbers, write them down, document them somehow. Because you can use those numbers later on to call in if you want to call in if you want to see how far along in the process you are. We can't give you an exact date but we can tell you where you are in the process."
Vernon also said the installation process is being sped up through the use of three contractors with thousands of employees.
Another aspect of the process that's been amended for speed is the use of remote assessments in addition to in-person assessments.
Use of both types of assessment is expected to hasten the process.
Vernon told DiPiazza the program is currently addressing an average of 1,000 roofs per day.
Homeowners who are awaiting assistance from the program are encouraged to cover their roofs as best they can in the meantime.
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