Sandy Jasmund, a spokeswoman for the FEMA regional office in Chicago, said the agency relies on local officials to show its representatives the most hard-hit areas to assess the damage without going to all the affected homes. 

FEMA will submit its damage assessment to state officials upon its completion. Then, the governor makes a decision about applying for a federal declaration. 

According to Jasmund, the request for a federal declaration is based on the damage assessment and the state’s capacity to recover on its own. The FEMA regional office, then, approves the request if it meets the criteria for federal intervention and sends the decision to the agency’s national headquarters in Washington D.C., Jasmund said.

“If a federal declaration is granted, we set up a website and a phone number that people can use to apply for assistance,” Jasmund said. “Compensations are paid on a case-to-case basis. Different factors play into whether assistance would be provided or not. We compensate for damages to essential living places. We can not duplicate benefits, so if people were reimbursed by their insurance company, we cannot pay for their damages.”

Jasmund added that it is hard to predict if or when a federal declaration will be granted. 

“Things will become clearer after the damage assessment if complete,” she said.

FEMA looks at the size and scope of the damage and the threat it poses to public safety, the number of people displaced, number of homes requiring extensive repairs, the availability of other sources of assistance and the extent of business losses before approving a federal declaration. 

“Floodwater or sewer backup damages in recreational rooms, unoccupied basements or storage spaces generally do not qualify for FEMA assistance programs,” reads a statement by the agency. “However, disaster-related damages to a home’s mechanical components or those in areas of a residence that meet the federal definition of essential living space—regardless of the location in the home—may be considered eligible for federal assistance.”

Assistance to businesses is tied to their ability to impact the recovery of the community after the disaster. SBA could offer low-interest loans to damaged businesses.