OEI Partners with FEMA Disaster Team to Provide Substantial Damage Estimates (SDEs)
OEI’s recent experience providing SDEs has given us the opportunity to help flood ravaged communities and given us firsthand insight into the process, including FEMA’s management of overall objectives.
An SDE assessment provides the total cost of repairs if 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred. Experience assists us in providing analysis and plans for communities to recover from and prevent future flood damage from a FEMA disaster.
FEMA’s SDE Tool
When a structure in a floodplain is substantially damaged, it must be brought into compliance with local codes and ordinances meeting minimum National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations. Communities participating in the NFIP are required to make these substantial damage determinations and enforce floodplain regulations.
By using the FEMA Substantial Damage Estimator tool, data is collected on residential and non-residential structures to be used by local communities to make substantial damage determinations.
OEI Helps with Disaster Management
Following a widespread disaster, many communities need assistance in collecting the information necessary to make their determinations. OEI inspectors support this task, allowing communities to focus their efforts on FEMA disaster recovery.
At OEI, we specialize in water resource management. With over three decades of resolving surface water issues, we are prepared to assist your community with all water resource management needs including risk management and coordination with regulatory agencies like FEMA.
A History of Success
Coordination between communities and regulatory agencies can be a complicated process. OEI’s experience helps clients to navigate these processes seamlessly resulting in more time and effort to be focused on disaster recovery and prevention.
OEI maintains a positive relationship with FEMA. We have prepared and submitted over 1,000 requests for Letter of Map Change to FEMA to help communities create effective flood management strategies. None of these submissions have ever been denied or considerably changed. Contact us today to coordinate your community’s SDE analysis and FEMA coordination assistance.