SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — It took years of saving and five years of sweat equity for Joe Machado to build his Spalding County dream home. But it was all wiped away in seconds when a tornado ripped through it on April 28.
The roof and entire second story of the home are gone.
Yet the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it won't give the family a penny in aid.
"It's a slap in the face when we receive a letter like that after going through all of this," said Joe Machado.
FEMA describes damage to the house as slight, and claims the house is livable. The family is stunned and angry.
Machado, his wife and 13-year-old disabled daughter were in the second-story bedroom when the twister hit.
He told Channel 2's Diana Davis that they will never forget it.
"I heard this explosion coming through; … it was unbelievable," said Joe Machado.
A neighbor was killed, but somehow the Machados survived.
Now they say they have to endure another painful chapter in their lives.
The Machados applied to FEMA for a grant for temporary housing until they could get back on their feet. The letter they received from FEMA in Washington said they won't get a penny.
The letter states, "Though the disaster may have caused some minor damage, the house is not unsafe to live in." At first, Joe Machado told Davis he thought he misread the letter.
"I mean … they should have people come in and realize this is not a place to live. If they come over here and live here, I'll live next to them, no problem," said Machado.
If the damage to their home doesn't qualify for aid, the family wonders what does. Joe Machado wonders if his neighbors have also been turned down by FEMA.
"I just feel sorry for other people down the block ‘cause I don't know what they did for them," said Machado.
Davis talked to a FEMA representative who said families turned down can appeal the decision.
FEMA said 5,000 Georgians affected by the storms have registered with FEMA.
So far, the agency has dispersed $3.5 million in aid to Georgia.
For now, the Machado family is living in a neighbor's home.
Joe Machado told Davis that no matter what, they will pick up the pieces and rebuild.
WSBTV
