Determining Eligibility for Disaster Assistance May Require More Information

OKLAHOMA CITY – Determining eligibility for grants from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may be as easy as registering for assistance, but sometimes more information is needed before the process can be completed.

Disaster survivors may receive a letter stating they’re ineligible. But that may not mean they won’t receive assistance. Read the letter carefully. It could mean more information is required to make a determination.

There are several common reasons for receiving a letter of ineligibility. The most common reason is not enough information has been provided.

Other reasons may be:

• Missing documentation is needed to complete the evaluation process.
• There is insufficient storm-related damage, or
• Insurance coverage adequately covered storm-related losses.

While it is not mandatory to qualify for assistance, one way to expedite the process of determining eligibility is to visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). Survivors can take any missing documents into the nearest DRC and have questions answered face-to-face with FEMA specialists.

There have been 3,184 visitors to DRCs in Oklahoma since the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding of May 5 through June 4. To find the recovery center nearest you visit http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. DRCs are one-stop shops where survivors can get information and guidance on the disaster assistance that may be available. Other options include visiting online www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4222 or visit OEM at www.oem.ok.gov. 

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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-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against emergencies and disasters. The department delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through a network of more than 350 local emergency managers.

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. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged 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. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.