FEMA is missing the big picture when it comes to flood recovery.
That's what frustrated codes enforcement officers and others told about two dozen FEMA reps Wednesday in Cobleskill.
And that big picture?
It depends who you're talking to.
Joe Nelson, CEO for the Village of Schoharie, said he's frustrated by the misinformation and lack of information the people in his village are getting.
"So they come back to us and ask, 'Who do we go to next?' and we don't know what to tell them."
Colleen Fullford, deputy director for County Emergency Management, said when people call FEMA, they get a sympathetic ear-but no answers.
She should know; she's also one of those whose home was destroyed by the flood.
"I call and I get passed to four different people, but in the end, the answer is always the same: We don't have anything for you. Call back."
Bill Goblet, Wright supervisor, said he wants to know if he can suspend zoning regulations to place FEMA trailers and speed rebuilding; the short answer there was "Yes, but..."
And then there's the question of questions.
"There's a lot of confusion," said Cassie Ethington, another member of the county's flood recovery team.
"Elevate or not? 100-year flood-or not? What's the criteria for FEMA trailers? Has a park been chosen? What about a FEMA buyout?
"And the biggest question I get: Why is my house not condemned but my neighbor's is? Some of these people wish their house was condemned so they could get more help and maybe move forward," Ms. Ethington said.
According to the latest FEMA statistics, 1,050 structures were damaged here by Irene, 242 of them substantially and most of those in Schoharie and Middleburgh.
As of Thursday, 1,613 residents had registered with FEMA; $7.9 million in assistance had been approved.
But Ms. Ethington and others said too few people realize they need to register with FEMA for help.
When she took a team of volunteers out to visit homes, she said, many of the 370 people they talked with were so distraught they didn't know what they needed.
Ms. Fullford said her family of seven is living in four different places and though she knows a FEMA trailer isn't an option for her, she said it's never been suggested.
When she calls FEMA, she said, "They look in their database and there's no place within a 50-mile radius for my family to be put back together.
"When I've asked about the criteria for the trailers, they don't know and pass me to someone else."
According to FEMA, the trailers are for those with more than $18,000 in damages and no place else to go and employees have been calling people who've registered to see if they're an option.
Sometimes FEMA is able to get waivers for necessary zoning permits, and in some cases they will even put the trailers in places that have been flooded-like the Village of Schoharie.
FEMA hopes to have people in trailers by this Saturday-but as of last Wednesday's meeting, only three people had been matched with trailers.
All predictions are that that number will mushroom.
"We're five weeks into this and people are still sleeping in tents in their yard or in their vehicles in the Elks' parking lot because they have no where to go," said Ms. Fullford.
"The majority of the people we saw were living on the second floor with no heat and trying to dry things out with it raining every other day," added Ms. Ethington.
And, pointed out several people, winter's coming.
Pete Irwin, CEO for the Towns of Schoharie and Cobleskill said placing the trailers-whether on private property or in parks-will likely require variances.
County Planner Shane Nickle said his office can probably help interested communities speed up the permitting process through a local law.
He also said they're already of work on identifying people who might qualify for a federal buy-out, though that's a competitive process and something that's at least a year away. (See related story.)