DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER OPENS IN DELAWARE COUNTY
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will open a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Delaware County on Friday, June 17, 2011 to help Oklahomans affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding of May 22-25.
The center will remain open through Thursday, June 30, or as needed. Hours of operation run 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The address follows:
Community Center
429 9th Street
Jay, OK 74346
Representatives from OEM, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available at the DRC to answer questions, help with disaster loan applications and provide recovery information. To apply for disaster assistance, call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for the hearing or speech impaired. People can also apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov or at www.sba.gov.
“To receive federal aid, applicants must register with FEMA—whether online, by phone or in person at a DRC,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran, III. “Registration with disaster-relief organizations—such as the American Red Cross or a local church group—does not transfer to FEMA.”
When registering, applicants will be asked to provide:
- Social Security number
- Address of the damaged home or apartment
- Description of the damage
- Information about insurance coverage
- A current contact telephone number
- An address where they can get mail
- Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for rent and home repairs, replace personal property and reimburse medical, storage and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance. Assistance may also include low-interest federal disaster loans from the SBA.
Survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.
“Along with our federal partner in disaster recovery, we want to make sure all disaster survivors receive adequate information to help guide them through the assistance process,” said State Coordinating Officer and OEM Director Albert Ashwood. “We urge you to contact FEMA if you live in Canadian, Delaware, Grady, Kingfisher, Logan or McClain Counties and suffered losses from the May storms.”
Storm survivors may also be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) if they lost work or earnings due to the storms. For more information, contact the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission or got to www.fema.gov/assistance/process/additional.shtm.
For additional information on SBA disaster loan assistance, call SBA at 800-659-2955, or visit www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance. Hearing impaired individuals may call 800-877-8339.
SBA offers disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations for their uncompensated losses. Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace their primary residence. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to replace personal property. Businesses may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace their property damage and/or economic losses.
For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, go to www.oem.ok.gov or visit http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=14652. Information can also be accessed via smart phone at m.fema.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.
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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