FEMA remains in Oklahoma to help survivors and communities recover from the April 19-20 straight-line winds, severe storms and tornadoes, even though the application period for FEMA assistance and the last Disaster Recovery Center has closed. We will continue to support Oklahomans until our job is complete.
FEMA Working for Oklahomans
As of July 3, FEMA approved 418 applications providing more than$2.4million in assistance to Oklahoma survivors through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which supports individuals and families.
Helpline
The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance was June 23. However, if you have applied but have questions about your application or need to make changes, you can visit disasterassistance.gov and click the appropriate icon to update your information or upload documents.
If you are not able to access the website, you can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists staff the toll-free number from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
Appeal FEMA’s Decision on Your Application for Assistance
Survivors who disagree with FEMA’s decision can appeal but should do so within 60 days of the date of the letter. An appeal is a written request to review your file again and consider any additional information you’ve provided that may affect the decision. if it is more than 60 days from your decision letter, please include why your appeal is late.
If your FEMA letter says your request was denied because of missing information, providing the necessary documentation may help you qualify for a grant. Or, if you don’t agree with the amount of the grant you received, providing receipts or written quotes may allow you to receive a larger grant. Or if the amount of assistance you were provided is not sufficient to make your essential repairs or repair or replace essential items in the home, filing your appeal and providing receipts or estimates will give FEMA an opportunity to review your case further.
You can file an appeal one of three ways:
- Upload documents to your disasterassistance.gov account.
- Fax it to 800-827-8112
- Send it by mail to FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
Include your application number on every page of your documentation.
You should receive a decision letter to your appeal within 90 days.
You may also get help with appeals from free legal disaster assistance by calling the Legal Aid Disaster hotline at 888-602-8494, the Oklahoma Indian Legal Services at 800-658-1497 or online at oklahomadisasterlegalhelp.org.
Staying Prepared and Mitigating for Disasters
To help residents in the rebuilding phase of their recovery, Hazard Mitigation outreach specialists are available to give tips about repairing and protecting homes from future disaster-related damage.
Specialists are available at two stores in McClain County through July 8.
Ace Hardware and Garden Center
987 E. Veterans Memorial Highway
Blanchard, OK 73080
Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Rock Hollow Garden & Hardware
3009 By Pass Road
Newcastle, OK 73065
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Those who cannot visit in person may call 833-FEMA-4-US or 833-336-2487 to speak to a hazard mitigation outreach specialist, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All calls will be returned within one business day. Information is also available by emailing questions to FEMA-OKMit@fema.dhs.gov or by visiting FEMA’s Oklahoma Mitigation home page at https://fema.connectsolutions.com/okmit