Oklahoma City, OK – Joint state/federal Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are opening Friday, June 14 at Sand Springs in Tulsa County and at Fort Gibson in Muskogee County.A DRC offers in-person support to individuals and businesses in counties included in the Oklahoma federal disaster declaration for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began on May 7, 2019.Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) will be at the centers to talk about assistance and...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Continuing preliminary damage assessments have resulted in four more Arkansas counties being designated for disaster assistance as part of the federal disaster declaration for areas affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on May 21.The addition of Arkansas, Desha, Logan and Pope counties brings the total number of Arkansas counties designated for Individual Assistance to 12. Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Perry, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell counties were previously designated for Individual Assistance. Affected residents and business owners in the newly-designated counties can check to see if they are eligible...

Arkansas Flooding Prompts Flood Insurance Claims, What to Expect During ProcessLITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas residents with flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program are beginning to make claims on their flood-damaged properties and should be aware of what to expect during the claims process. Statewide, there have been over 230 flood insurance claims since April 1, 2019, with the highest concentration in Sebastian County. Policy holders should follow these steps.Pre-flood measures:• For NFIP policyholders taking pre-flood measures, up to $1,000 in reasonable expenses may be covered to protect your insured...

Oklahoma City, OK – The joint state/federal Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at Case Community Center, 1050 W. Wekiwa Road in Sand Springs, will have new opening and closing hours starting Monday, June 17. The DRC will continue to open at 7 a.m. through the weekend.The new hours will be 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday, until further notice.A DRC offers in-person support to individuals and businesses in counties included in the Oklahoma federal disaster declaration for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began...

In the aftermath of nearly every disaster, survivors should be alert for con artists and opportunists trying to obtain money or steal personal information through fraud, scams or identity theft.In some cases, thieves have tried to register with FEMA using names, addresses and Social Security numbers they have stolen from other people.The most common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid.No individual from a state or federal disaster assistance agency will call or text asking...