Fact Sheet: The Difference between FEMA Tarps and USACE Blue Roofs

Release Date Release Number
DR 4339-PR FS 05
Release Date:
October 10, 2017

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are providing roof repair options for Puerto Rico homeowners to protect their homes from wind and rain.

Operation Blue Roof provides a temporary covering of reinforced blue plastic sheeting using strips of wood secured to the roof with nails or screws to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. In order to be considered for this program, a homeowner/landlord must legally agree to allow the USACE contractors access to the property by signing a Right of Entry (ROE) form.  Blue Roofs are designed to last for 30 days.

In addition, FEMA has blue tarps, often referred to as self-help tarps, available throughout local municipalities that homeowners can pick up to help temporarily cover contents of damaged homes until permanent repairs can be made by the homeowner. FEMA tarps are large, loose-fitting sheets of waterproof material that can be tied to structures with grommets. The blue tarps are free of charge. The homeowner is responsible for the installation of FEMA-provided self-help tarps.

It is important to note that residents that choose to use a self-help tarp may still be eligible for Operation Blue Roof, and can still register for other forms of FEMA assistance.

To find out which temporary roofing option is right for you, visit your local municipality, or call 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) or visit http://www.sad.usace.army.mil/blueroof_espanol/ (http://www.sad.usace.army.mil/BlueRoof/) to find a location where right of Entry (ROE) forms are being collected.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters, which can cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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