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.

 

There are reports the Justice Department is investigating Minnesota's governor and the Minneapolis mayor. Multiple outlets cite U.S. officials saying Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey are being investigated for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement. One official says the investigation centers on statements the two leaders have made about the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents deployed to Minneapolis. Their presence has sparked protests, which have grown since the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer last week.        Court is done for the week in the Charlie Kirk assassination case in Utah. Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting the conservative personality at a rally in September, argued a key prosecutor has a family member who was present at the time Kirk was shot. They say that communications between them raise concerns over impartiality and the prosecution's decision to seek the death penalty, and argue the prosecutor should be disqualified.        President Trump says he currently doesn't have reason to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota. Before leaving the White House for Florida on Friday, Trump was asked about using the act as protests continue in Minneapolis. Trump said there's no reason to use it at this time, adding, that if he "needed it, it's available" to him. The Insurrection Act would give Trump the authority to deploy the military to suppress a rebellion on American soil.        Virginia Senate Democrats are sending a redistricting amendment to voters for approval. If voters support the amendment in a special election, which is expected to be on the spring ballot, the Legislature would be able to redraw the state's congressional map before midterms. Democrats currently have a six-five edge in the state's congressional delegation, looking to control either a ten-one or nine-two split for the new map.        Renee Good was unresponsive when first responders arrived after she was shot by an ICE agent last week in Minneapolis. A newly released incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department offered more clarity into the incident, with Good having two apparent gunshot wounds to her right chest, one on her left forearm and another possible wound on the left side of her head. Good's killing has led to protests nationwide, while the Trump administration is calling her a "domestic terrorist."        Bad Bunny is previewing his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance. The video shows the singer walking through a forest while playing a song from his most recent album, soon joined by dancers off all different ages and cultures. It ends with a message saying "the world" - all different ages, races and styles - "will dance." Bad Bunny's choice as the headliner of the halftime show has drawn conservative backlash, with the Trump Administration threatening to have ICE agents at the game.       

Old News Archives