Woonsocket Radio News Room

Damaged Furnace, Well or Septic System? FEMA Can Help

CRANSTON, R.I. – If you live in Kent, Providence or Washington counties and lost access to water because a private well or septic system was damaged, or if your furnace or heating system was damaged by the severe storms and flooding on December 17-19, 2023, or January 9-13, 2024, you may be eligible for financial assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program.

For private wells, heating systems, furnaces and septic systems, FEMA may provide assistance to cover the cost of a licensed contractor, or a professional licensed technician visit to provide a repair or replacement estimate, even if the work has already been completed.

FEMA may also pay for the actual repair or replacement cost of your septic system or private well, which are not insurable items. At the time of your inspection, let the FEMA inspector know you have a private well and/or septic system that may have been damaged by the storm. If the damage is determined to be caused by the disaster, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance.

If you have already had an inspection and damage to the well or septic system wasn’t reported, contact the FEMA Helpline to receive instructions about how to amend your application.

If you have applied for FEMA assistance and have not had a home inspection, you should call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.

For the latest information visit 4765 | FEMA.gov or 4766 | FEMA.gov. Follow FEMA on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/femaregion1 and at facebook.com/fema.

For updates on the Rhode Island response and recovery, follow the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency on Twitter at  twitter.com/RhodeIslandEMA, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandEMA, or visit www.riema.ri.gov.

 

Millions getting a blast of severe winter weather to end the year. Around 67-million are under some sort of wind alert in the Northeast and New England region. Those downwind of Lakes Ontario and Erie are also under winter alerts as lake effect snow may lead to an addition one to feet of accumulation.        A U.S. drone strike in Venezuela was reportedly carried out by the CIA. Both the New York Times and CNN reported Monday that a CIA drone hit a remote dock on the Venezuelan coast earlier this month. The network cited sources saying the U.S. believed the facility was being used by the Tren de Aragua [[ tren day uh-RAW-gwuh ]] gang as part of its operation to store and ship drugs.        President Trump is warning Iran not to attempt rebuilding its nuclear program. Speaking Monday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.S. will go after Iran if that happens. He added it would be much smarter if Iran decides to negotiate and said he would support Israeli military strikes on Iran.        The US Department of Health and Human Services says it is freezing all child care payments to the state of Minnesota amid reports of fraud. Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill said in a post on X that all child care payments to the state are now frozen, with steps taken Tuesday against what he called the "blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country." The post went on to say that all ACF payments across America will require a justification and a receipt or photo evidence before being sent, and that O'Neill has demanded an audit of the centers in Minnesota by Governor Walz.        A body has been found in the search for a missing 19-year-old in Texas. Camila Olmos has been missing since last Wednesday morning. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office in south Texas says a body was found by search crews a few hundred yards away from her home, in an area of tall grass.        Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic [[ yo-kitch ]] has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. He also reportedly is dealing with a bone bruise in the knee. The three-time MVP was injured late in the first half of the team's loss to the Miami Heat on Monday.        Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. is dead at the age of 71. Whitlock is best known for his portrayal of corrupt state senator Clay Davis on the HBO series The Wire, as well as George Maddox in another HBO series, Veep. He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee as well, appearing in films such as Red Hook Summer, Da 5 Bloods, She Hate Me, and 25th Hour.       

Old News Archives