"We want to make sure we don't miss anyone," said Alabama Governor Bob Riley as he addressed media at the Houston County EMA headquarters Tuesday.

Riley stressed patience as joint assessment teams scour Houston County to quantify and verify damage reports from more than a weeks worth of severe weather and flooding.

Teams made up of local, state, and federal emergency management officials hope to have public damage assessments to infrastructure completed in a few days. Governor Riley says early reports show the state will reach and exceed the $5.8 million threshold to ask for a federal declaration. That would bring in money from FEMA to help rebuild, likely in the form of a 75/25 money partnership.

Governor Riley says he has heard from around 100 southeast Alabama residents that have received heavy damage to their homes from rising waters. The road for them to get federal dollars may be more difficult.

As Governor Riley and State EMA Director Brock Long explained Tuesday, there is no threshold to meet for individual assistance to homes and businesses. That means an emphasis must be put to collect all individual damage reports, and then hope for the best after that.

"And it's not going to be a quick process unfortunately," says Long. "And there is no guarantee that if we go forward and ask for individual assistance with a federal declaration, that it will be given."

The joint assessment teams that include FEMA representatives will begin verifying individual damage reports starting Monday. In the meantime Governor Riley says affected residents should continue to lean on community and faith-based groups that have helped the community survive these tough times.

Riley praised volunteers Tuesday, and Houston County EMA Director Clark Matthews says volunteer hours are reaching 900 hours.

"If the whole community really buys into it, and says we are going to help get through this," said Governor Riley. "It is amazing what you can do."

In Houston County you can still call in damage reports to the EMA Office using the phone number 615-HELP.