COBB COUNTY - The county is just now being reimbursed for the purchase of four homes that were damaged during thunderstorms in July 2007 - which shows that the process of granting homeowners money following disasters takes time.

"It takes a while for these things to happen, because you have to figure out what the fair value is, get them assessed, go through the process of purchasing, and get approval for everything from both the local and national agencies," Cobb County spokesman Robert Quigley said.

Quigley said the county got permission from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to purchase the properties from their owners in March 2009. GEMA approved the county buying a total of seven homes impacted by the 2007 storms. Following GEMA's permission, the county bought damaged properties at 3045 Rio Montana, 3010 Rio Montana, 2558 Crockett Drive and 2557 Little John Trail, and the county was given $597,644.66 from GEMA via the Federal Emergency Management Agency for reimbursement.

Quigley said the properties on Rio Montana have been demolished and the lots, which are in the floodplain, will be left to become natural greenspace.

"We remove the home and turn the property back to its natural setting, with grasses, trees and natural vegetation, so that it can act as it should during heavy storms," Quigley said. "We do this to give money to homeowners whose properties are in the floodplain and have been destroyed, so that the property becomes county property and another home cannot be built on it."

The remaining three properties are located at 2625 Sunny Lane, 2592 Princess Lane and 2541 Crockett Drive. Quigley said that the county is still in the process of purchasing the properties.

The total cost for all seven properties is expected to cost $1,459,932. The county is responsible for $364,983, while FEMA has agreed to pay $1,094,949. The county will be reimbursed for the remainder owed by FEMA once the other three properties have been purchased.

Quigley said that a similar process will take place for the purchase of properties affected by the September floods, and that the deadline for the county to submit its recommendations to GEMA is January 2010.