News Release from: Linn County Sheriff's Office
LINN COUNTY FLOOD DAMAGE REPORTING INFORMATION
Posted: January 24th, 2012 5:15 PM

Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller reports that with a declared local disaster by the Linn County Board of Commissioners and a State declared disaster by Governor Kitzhaber, Linn County is in the process of flood damage assessment.  

The initial damage assessment must be completed and returned to Oregon Emergency Management by Friday, January 27, 2012. In order to meet this deadline County Emergency Management will establish a phone bank for residents and business owners to report property damages.  

Oregon Emergency Management will then gather the damage assessment information from the Counties and will request a preliminary damage assessment review through FEMA. If approved, FEMA will activate a preliminary damage assessment team to tour the areas affected by the storm in our County.

Residents and private business owners of Linn County will be asked to call in their damages through a phone bank (877) 570-0828 that will be activated on Thursday, January 26th at 9:00 a.m. and be open until 4:00 p.m.   The phone bank will be operational on Thursday the 26th only.

The following information is needed when the phone bank is called:

- Name of owner or renter of property
- Address of property
- Contact number
- Is property a primary home, rental property, or business
- Is the property a single family home, mobile home, multi-family (apartment)
- What was the type of damage sustained (5 categories)
o Affected ˆ Habitable
o Minor (homes that can be made habitable quickly and without great expense)
o Major (homes requiring costly or extended repair to be made habitable)
o Destroyed
o Inaccessible
- Is the property or property contents insured?
- Estimated damage of loss

Damages to rental units will be counted twice; the renter is affected under the housing category and loss of personal property and the landlord is affected under the business category unless all the damage is to the personal property of the renter. However, damages to "second" or vacation homes, or outbuildings such as detached garages will not be counted as they do not meet the criteria for identifying initial damage assessments.

For further info contact:
Sgt. Joe Larsen
541.812.2272