Disaster News

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management
Federal Emergency Management Agency

June 25, 2010
Joint Field Office: Oklahoma City, OK

FEMA News Desk:  405-917-3250
OEM PIO, Michelann Ooten:  405-521-2481 (office)

$5.6 MILLION IN FEDERAL DISASTER AID APPROVED FOR OKLAHOMANS  

OKLAHOMA CITY— Just a month has passed since May 24, when a presidential disaster declaration opened the door for state and federal Individual Assistance programs following Oklahoma’s May 10-13 storms and tornadoes — and already more than $5.6 million is getting to applicants. 

The recovery assistance is available through the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to eligible homeowners, renters and business owners.

“In every disaster, FEMA’s number one priority is clear: Deliver recovery aid as quickly as possible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gregory W. Eaton. “Our partners from the SBA and the state not only share that sense of urgency, they help us achieve that goal.”

Assistance to Oklahomans for the May storms:                    

$2,028,567                  FEMA Housing Assistance

   $237,326                  State/FEMA Other Needs Assistance

$3,402,100                  SBA low-interest disaster loans

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$5,667,993                  Total amount awarded by June 25

“We’re glad that federal assistance is reaching our state so soon after the disaster,” said State Coordinating Officer Fred W. Liebe. “With this boost, eligible Oklahomans who sustained damages from the storms can return to routine life faster.”

FEMA’s Housing Assistance and the state/FEMA Other Needs Assistance programs target eligible Oklahomans who fell through financial safety nets because they were uninsured or underinsured. The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans.

To be eligible for assistance, survivors must have resided during the disaster in Carter, Cleveland, Creek, Garvin, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie or Seminole counties, all designated for federal Individual Assistance programs under the disaster declaration. 

Oklahomans affected by the storms should register for assistance as soon as possible. The deadline to register is July 23. They can call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing impairments. They also can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/Oklahoma, visit the OEM website at www.oem.ok.gov or follow OEM on Twitter at http://twitter.com/okem. Users of smart phones and other mobile devices can visit m.fema.gov.

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