16 Counties in Oklahoma Now Approved to Receive Federal Disaster Assistance under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program

Oklahoma City – A June 4 amendment to the major disaster declaration for Oklahoma following the recent severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding now includes Public Assistance (PA) funding for 16 counties.

The amendment added Atoka, Bryan, Cleveland, Cotton, Grady, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, McClain, Okfuskee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Seminole, Stephens and Tillman counties to the declaration, making them eligible for funding to help repair or rebuild public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water systems and utilities and public buildings such as schools, as well as emergency work such as debris removal and emergency protective measures.

Types of entities that may be eligible for Public Assistance include:
•    Local governments and special districts;
•    Private nonprofit organizations or institutions that own or operate facilities that are open to the general public;
•    Federally recognized tribes; and
•    State government agencies.

The declaration also includes 13 counties – Atoka, Bryan, Comanche, Cleveland, Grady, Johnston, Kiowa, Le Flore, McClain, McCurtain, Oklahoma, Pittsburg and Pottawatomie – for individual assistance, or assistance to help survivors get back on their feet after the severe weather.

Individuals and business owners in the designated counties, or anyone who has received damage from the recent storms, are encouraged to register for federal disaster assistance. You can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone or web-enabled device by using the FEMA App. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4222 or visit the 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.