DISASTER ASSISTANCE TOPS $7.6 MILLION FOR MAY 18-JUNE 2 STORMS IN OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY – June 17, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — State and federal disaster assistance now tops $7.6 million for Oklahoma homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the May 18-June 2 severe storms, flooding and tornadoes.

More than 10,000 households in six designated counties have applied for assistance from the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following the storms. The designated counties are Canadian, Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma and Pottawatomie.

Individual Assistance funds approved: $6,211,192
• Housing Assistance grants: $4,266,410
• Other Needs Assistance grants: $1,944,782
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans: $1,451,900

Disaster assistance includes:
• Housing Assistance grants which help pay for temporary housing for qualified homeowners and renters. Housing Assistance may also include home repair grants for homeowners with uninsured losses.

• Other Needs Assistance that may include grants to help pay for personal property replacement or disaster-related necessary expenses—such as uninsured medical and dental costs, transportation, lost work tools, and moving and storage fees related to the disaster.

• Low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations are available from the SBA.

• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs), which provide necessary business working capital until normal operations resume after a physical disaster.  The law restricts economic injury disaster loans to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofit organizations of all sizes.  EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Other services for eligible disaster survivors may include Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), crisis counseling and Disaster Legal Services.

• For DUA information or to begin a claim, contact the nearest Workforce Oklahoma Center at workforce center or call 800-555-1554.

• The Oklahoma Bar Association has set up a special service to help survivors. Volunteers from the bar association give free legal advice to survivors. Call Legal Aid at 888-534-5243.

• Survivors in emotional distress can call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990.

Two New Disaster Recovery Centers Open

OEM and FEMA currently have six Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) and one SBA Business Recovery Center, including newly opened sites in Midwest City and El Reno, where survivors may get information and apply for assistance. Specialists from OEM, FEMA and the SBA are at the centers to answer questions and help survivors. To date 4,402 people have visited the centers:

• Eastside Church of Christ, 916 South Douglas Blvd., Midwest City Hours: 8 a.m.—8 p.m. Mon.-Sun.
• Jenks Simmons Fieldhouse, 214 North Country Club Road, El Reno Hours: 8 a.m.—8 p.m. Mon.-Sun
• Little Axe Elementary School, 2000, 168th Ave. NE, Norman, Hours: 9 a.m.—7 p.m. Mon.-Sun.
• Carney High School, 204 South Carney St., Carney, Hours: 8 a.m.—7 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. through June 16.  NOTE: The Carney center permanently closes  7 p.m. Wed., June 19th.
• Westmoore High School, 12613 South Western Ave., Oklahoma City Hours: 8 a.m.—8 p.m. Mon.-Sun.
• Gordon Cooper Technology Center, One John C. Bruton Blvd., Shawnee Hours: 8 a.m.—8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun.
• Business Recovery Center:  Moore Norman Technology Center, 13301 South Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City Hours: 9 a.m.—6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.—1 p.m. Sat.

Other recovery centers may open as suitable sites are identified, and some centers may periodically adjust their hours to match visitor demand.  Disaster survivors can visit any of the centers, not just the one nearest their homes.
To Apply For Disaster Assistance
Homeowners, renters and business owners in the six designated counties (Canadian, Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie) who sustained damage from the May 18-June 2 storms can apply for state and federal assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov.

Survivors of the May 18-June 2 storms may also apply by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362 to register.
For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).
For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4117 or visit the OEM site at oem.ok.gov

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.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations 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.

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