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Perry County officials outline slow FEMA process, highlight buyouts that have purchased more than 100 homes
Summary
County leaders explained FEMA’s documentation-and-reimbursement process, defended locally managed buyouts and mitigation efforts, and reported roughly 100 homes purchased under buyout programs with about $20 million spent locally on demolition, appraisals and homeowner payments.
Perry County leaders used a fiscal court meeting to walk residents through how FEMA disaster recovery funding is reviewed, obligated and paid, stressing that federal reimbursement is a lengthy, documentation-heavy process and that local buyout programs have been a significant recovery tool.
Jerry, the county’s emergency-management lead, said the federal process requires preliminary damage assessments (PDAs) and state review before a presidential disaster declaration unlocks public-assistance projects. “It is a long, drawn out process,” Jerry said, noting that FEMA and state threshold tests must be met and that grant entries require precise GPS coordinates, photos and cost estimates.
County officials and staff described the buyout program as a cornerstone of individual recovery. Ben (mitigation lead) said the county has purchased roughly 101 homes from the 2022 buyout round and described the local economic effect: “That project for those 100-plus homes is $20,000,000 being respent into our community with demolition services, appraisals, everything…most everything is being spent locally, including the money for the homeowners.”
Officials said the buyout approach provides homeowners the pre-disaster market value for property, enabling many families to re-enter the housing market. The county highlighted one case in which advocacy and coordination with state partners shortened a buyout timeline from about three years to 11 months following the 2022 flood.
Staff explained practical field requirements: inspectors must capture GPS coordinates and four photos at intake and four after work completion, enter data into Survey123 (the grants portal), and maintain invoices and material lists. “There’s no money upfront,” Jasper (staff) said, describing FEMA’s reimbursement model.
Court members acknowledged that some project types—especially asphalt road repairs—face extra scrutiny from FEMA and can be denied if prior cracking or maintenance deficits are evident. Officials urged patience and reiterated that recovery typically depends on coordinated county, state and federal action.
The meeting concluded the buyout update with a pledge to continue outreach and documentation efforts so projects move through FEMA’s review more quickly. The court also encouraged residents with questions about specific properties or how funds are tracked to contact county staff.
