Reporting weather damage in Vernon County just got easier - KOAM TV 7

Vernon County, Missouri adds a new online form that will help residents report storm damage.

In the last 27 years Judy Stark's home in Nevada has been flooded four times, and reporting the damages hasn't been an easy process.

"Whenever it rains, it seems to be getting worse," Stark says.  "They just don't really know who is responsible and who has the authority to come and fix it."

However, now Stark has an easier solution to the problem.

Vernon County Emergency Management has created an online form and with a few clicks of the button, crews will see your name, address, number and damage.

"It's going to give us probably more visibility of the damage," says Dennis Kimrey of Vernon County Emergency Management.  "I think it will probably give the citizens an easier way to do the damage instead of getting on the phone and sent to voicemail and leaving a message."

Once the form is submitted someone will come out and access your property needs.

Stark says that she'll be submitting a form the next time her property floods.

"That's what we need, someone to be able to come out and help," Stark says.  "He, from that form, should be able to contact the right people and see if anything can be done or can't be done but at least someone is looking into it."

And even though Vernon County officials say they haven't seen much storm damage this past year they're prepared for the future.

"We are very fortunate in Vernon County, we've really not had a lot of disasters," Kimrey says.  "Yes, we've had the drought, but nothing to report as far as damage.  I think once you get out there and it starts to get visible, people find out about it and the word gets out and they start using it, I think that's going to help a lot."

The web address is http://www.vernoncountyoem.org/