Tuesday, July 21, 2015
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded the disaster incident period by 18 days in June to include additional flooding and storm damage to public and private property.
FEMA’s Disaster Incident Period of May 5 – June 4 has been extended to June 22 for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance to reflect damages to public and private property.
Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) officials made the extension request last week, stating that Oklahoma has been besieged by severe weather for more than two months. In May, the state experienced more than 25 tornadoes, baseball-size hail and record-breaking rainfall, which set the stage for multiple rounds of flooding and other damaging severe weather that followed.
On June 16, Oklahoma was hit with more flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes. River levels reached all-time highs in many areas and stayed that way for days. Homes and businesses were once again damaged or destroyed and bridges and roadways were washed out. For numerous Oklahomans, this marked a second or third time that their homes and businesses were inundated with flood waters.
“I appreciate FEMA expanding the disaster period,” said Fallin. “Disastrous, severe weather conditions that occurred after the original incident period affected many Oklahomans and businesses and damaged or destroyed numerous roads and bridges. The devastation has had far-reaching effects on local and state officials, first responders, homeowners, renters, business owners – the entire state.”
Fallin and OEM today also requested FEMA to grant Individual Assistance for three additional counties: Craig, Custer and Woods. If the request is approved, the designation would make available federal assistance for housing repairs or temporary housing, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property, disaster unemployment assistance, and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs.
To date, 59 counties have been approved by FEMA for Public Assistance.
Thirty-three counties have been approved by FEMA for Individual Assistance during that same time period; 28 others are awaiting approval.
Fallin continued to encourage individuals and business-owners whose property was damaged between May 5 and June 22 by storms and flooding to report those damages to FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) regardless of what county they are located in. She stressed that damage assessments are ongoing and the state may add more counties to its requests for both individual and public assistance.
A list of counties receiving aid is below.
Individual Assistance
Note: Individual Assistance makes available federal assistance for housing repairs or temporary housing, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property, disaster unemployment assistance, and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster expenses not met by other programs. Thirty-three Oklahoma counties have been approved by FEMA for Individual Assistance. Thirty-one counties, including the three counties requested today, are awaiting approval.
Approved Counties: Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Choctaw, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Jefferson, Johnston, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole, Stephens, Tillman, Tulsa and Wagoner
Additional Requested Counties: Adair, Blaine, Cherokee, Coal, Craig, Creek, Custer, Delaware, Dewey, Garfield, Garvin, Greer, Harmon, Haskell, Hughes, Jackson, Kay, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Major, Murray, Muskogee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pontotoc, Roger Mills, Sequoyah, Washita and Woods
Public Assistance
Note: Public Assistance makes federal funding available to assist municipalities, counties and rural electric cooperatives with infrastructure repairs, debris removal and costs associated with responding to the storms. FEMA has approved Public Assistance in 59 counties.
Approved Counties: Adair, Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Choctaw, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Custer, Delaware, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Haskell, Hughes, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Latimer, Le Flore, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, Mayes, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, Roger Mills, Seminole, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tillman, Wagoner and Washita