As the cleanup from Hurricane Sandy continues in Fairfield, some residents in hard-hit areas said they’re not getting the help they need.
Elizabeth Flavin is frustrated. She’s called FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, only to go through an automated system where she can’t leave a message.
“I would hold for two hours…but to be told this call is disconnected? And, they disconnect it,” said Flavin.
Flavin’s home is on Fairfield Beach Rd., along one of the hardest-hit areas in Fairfield. Her basement was heavily flooded and she needs a FEMA inspector to come to her house, so she can begin making repairs.
“I want someone to come to my home and look at what’s been damaged because it’s so contaminated and disgusting that we’re told to get it out of the house as soon as possible,” said Flavin.
Flavin said she’s getting anxious. She runs her business out of her home and doesn’t know when that’ll be back up and running.
Lt. James Perez with the Fairfield Police Dept. said homeowners like Flavin who are looking to restore their homes as a result of the storm should also be wary of scams, or people posing as contractors looking to cash-in on the clean-up efforts.
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“We have stopped individuals from the beach…we’re not allowing just any contractor to go down there,” said Lt. Perez.
Chris Blank’s garage was flooded this week, forcing him to throw out many items. Blank said he too was approached by a contractor.
“He was trying to give me advice on how to clean-up the concrete properly. I’m sure he could tell I wasn’t interested in whatever he was offering,” said Blank.
Storm-weary residents in Fairfield are hopeful things will go back to normal, soon.
The clean-up has been slowed down by the lack of power. More than 20 percent of customers in the town remained in the dark as of Sunday night.
