City of Ann Arbor employees to conduct official storm damage assessments April 17–18
Here’s what residents should expect
The City of Ann Arbor will deploy official damage assessment teams on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, to document storm-related impacts in the community following the recent tornado.
Who: City of Ann Arbor staff, primarily from Building and Rental Inspection Services, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations, Planning and Parks will conduct the assessments. Teams will consist of trained city employees working in groups of three and clearly identified with high-visibility vests and official city identification.
What: Teams will be surveying and documenting damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. This includes taking photographs, recording observations and, in some cases, briefly speaking with residents about impacts to their property.
When speaking with residents, assessment teams will largely ask questions from the State of Michigan’s damage assessment survey such as whether a home is owned or rented, if a home is insured, and if a home is a primary residence. Additionally, assessment teams may capture details surrounding a resident’s lived experience with the storm and post-storm recovery.
These assessments are part of a standard and necessary process used nationwide to determine the severity and extent of disaster damage and to support potential requests for state and federal assistance. Information gathered may also be used to shape the City’s future preparedness and resilience initiatives.
Where: Assessment efforts will focus on the area of the city within the tornado’s path and where straight-line winds were most severe, including the neighborhoods west and south of downtown.
When: Friday, April 17, in the afternoon and Saturday, April 18.
Why: The information collected by the assessment teams will help the city submit a request for additional storm recovery resources. Accurate damage data is critical because it directly informs decisions about disaster assistance.
Damage assessments are the first step in a larger process that may lead to state or federal aid, including assistance programs for communities and residents.
What Residents Should Expect:
- Teams may be present in neighborhoods documenting damage and taking photos
- Staff may request brief access to private property or ask questions about damage
- All personnel will carry city identification — residents are encouraged to ask to see ID if they have questions
- Teams will not be asking for residents’ names, but will be documenting addresses where damage occurred
- Teams will not be entering homes
- Teams are not conducting inspections for code enforcement or issuing citations
Important Notes:
- Assessment teams are focused solely on documenting storm impacts
- A visit from an assessment team does not guarantee financial assistance. These assessments evaluate overall community impact and are one factor in determining eligibility for disaster aid programs.
Other Ways Residents Can Help Document April 15 Storm Damage
Beyond speaking with the city’s damage assessment teams, residents can help Ann Arbor document storm damage by reporting the damage directly to the state and city.
Storm damage on private property (like the loss of shingles or siding) can be documented using the State of Michigan’s self-reporting survey.
Storm damage that should be handled by City of Ann Arbor crews can be reported to A2FixIt. This will allow the city to document damage and will create a work order to have it repaired.
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Media Contact:
Steve Kilar, Communications Director, skilar@a2gov.org