FEMA Begins Inspections In Recent Areas Hit By Storms, Flooding

Jun. 25--Housing inspectors and Disaster Survivor Assistance teams from Federal Emergency Management Agency are visiting 27 Oklahoma counties to help disaster survivors get connected with potential assistance.

The visits are taking place in Garfield, Alfalfa, Canadian, Cherokee, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Kay, Kingfisher, Le Flore, Logan, Mayes, Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, Washington and Woods counties, all of them approved for FEMA individual assistance for the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding between May 7 and June 9.

Mike Honigsberg, certified director of Garfield County Emergency Management, urged county residents who suffered damage to register the damage.

"If you suffered damages from flooding, or any storm damage from the recent storms and have not registered your information please read the following carefully and then register your info with FEMA," he said. "Their inspectors will then come by and do their inspections and hopefully be able to help."

Honigsberg also asked residents to keep all receipts for items paid for out of pocket while going through the recovery process.

As additional counties get designated for individual assistance, housing inspectors and DSA teams will move into those areas.

Inspections occur once survivors register with FEMA. They are an essential part of the recovery process for survivors who need to make their homes livable again or have serious personal property loss. Homeowners and renters should make sure their contact information is up to date and have access to a telephone. They will need to have a photo ID and proof of ownership or a lease.

Disaster Survivor Assistance teams go door to door in affected areas to answer questions about the types of help available, help survivors apply for state and federal assistance, update an applicant's contact information and help with referrals to whole community partners. Team members wear blue FEMA shirts. DSA team members and housing inspectors have photo IDs. Survivors should ask to see them.

Those who had damage should contact their insurance agent before registering for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Applicantsalso may call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Learn more about the current disaster in Oklahoma at https://www.fema.gov/okmit and https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4438.

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