Oklahoma Disaster Assistance Tops $26 Million

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than $26 million has been granted to Oklahomans, helping to rebuild the lives of families and businesses impacted by the recent storms.

Signs of recovery are becoming visible following the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring May 5 through June 4. Since the May 26 major disaster declaration, state and federal disaster officials say residents continue to seek help.

More than 8,403 families have registered for assistance with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The total federal disaster funding approved for Oklahomans is $26.6 million. This includes:

• $12.1 million in Individual Assistance (IA)
  • $10.3 million for Housing Assistance
  • more than $1.7 million for Other Needs, such as repair or replacement of personal property essential to the home.

• There have been 131 claims paid to Oklahomans through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which total $4,193,945.

• SBA has approved more than $10,473,100 in loans. This includes:
  • $10,060,700 million for homeowners
  • $412,400 for business owners.

Low-interest SBA disaster loans may be available to businesses of all sizes as well as certain private nonprofit organizations. Homeowners and renters are also eligible for SBA loans for uninsured loss. These loans cannot duplicate benefits from other agencies or compensation from other organizations.

FEMA has had up to 88 Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists going door-to-door in the affected counties. To date, they have visited 16,538 homes, 1,054 businesses, and 717 community-based organizations delivering recovery information and guidance. These specialists have also registered 571 survivors for disaster assistance.

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are currently open throughout the state where 3,184 visitors have met face-to-face with representatives from OEM, FEMA and SBA.

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.

To expedite service, survivors are encouraged to register for federal disaster assistance prior to visiting a DRC. To register online visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone at toll-free 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585, 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.