On October 10, 2018, hurricane Michael tore through the Florida Panhandle destroying many of the communities near NetData’s main office. Thankfully, our office and operations were not affected. But many of our friends and family have been, and it will take years for a full recovery.
The wife of our regional channel manager for RingCentral, one of our vendors, is the Vice Coordinator of the American Bar Association’s Disaster Legal Services team. Through the Disaster Legal Services Program, the ABA Young Lawyers Division (ABA YLD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provide immediate temporary legal assistance to disaster survivors at no charge.
Hurricane Michael survivors who cannot afford an attorney can access the hotline at 866-550-2929.
From our friend at RingCentral, “The attorneys will work with the person and advise them on how to gain proof of the damages and how to file their claim to FEMA and their insurance. When making a claim with FEMA or an insurance company usually pictures, receipts and proof of damages and estimates of repairs are helpful. Sometimes FEMA and the insurance will come back with a lower number than requested but attorneys are available for advice on appeals as well.”
So please document everything to the best of your ability. Take photos, video, narrate the video, make lists of lost contents – do everything you can to present a complete account of your losses to your insurance company and FEMA. Please share this information with as many people as you can. Many will not have access to the Internet, so please feel free to print the press release linked below and hand the information out.
Here is the press release from DLS: Free Legal Assistance Available for Florida Hurricane Michael Survivors and a link to the Disaster Legal Services webpage Disaster Legal Services webpage for more information.
