FEMA Numbers for Disaster Assistance
President Barack Obama’s disaster declaration for Oklahoma makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie counties.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, according to FEMA.
Federal funding is also available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in Cleveland, Lincoln, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie counties.
Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Sandy Coachman has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Coachman said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Obama dispatched FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to Oklahoma to assess damage and coordinate activities.
Note from Reba McEntire to Oklahomans
Significant weather advisory for Oklahoma, McClain, Cleveland counties
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
824 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
OKLAHOMA OK-MCCLAIN OK-CLEVELAND OK-
824 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL OKLAHOMA…WESTERN
MCCLAIN AND CLEVELAND COUNTIES UNTIL 900 AM CDT…
AT 820 AM CDT…A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF RUSH SPRINGS…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
NORTH AND EAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND STORMS MAY MOVE INTO MOORE AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA CITY…MAINLY AFTER
9 AM.
Signficant weather advisory, National Weather Service, Norman
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
818 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
CADDO OK-MCCLAIN OK-GRADY OK-GARVIN OK-STEPHENS OK-COMANCHE OK-
818 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CADDO…SOUTHWESTERN
MCCLAIN…SOUTHERN GRADY…NORTHWESTERN GARVIN…NORTHERN STEPHENS
AND NORTHEASTERN COMANCHE COUNTIES UNTIL 845 AM CDT…
AT 816 AM CDT…A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF STERLING…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE…
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS…
WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH…
Tuesday forecast map for the National Weather Service, Norman coverage area
What to do in Oklahoma on May 21, 2013: Hear Parker Millsap at The Deli and fill the tip jar for tornado relief
From left, Michael Rose and Parker Millsap (Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
NORMAN – Hear red dirt singer/songwriter/musician Parker Millsap play his weekly free show from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Deli, 309 White Street.
Parker posted this message on Facebook last night: “The tip jar will go straight to the Red Cross to help our friends in Moore. Come fill it up.”
For more information, go to www.thedeli.us.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Significant weather advisory in southern Oklahoma, National Weather Service, Norman
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
756 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
OKZ027-037>039-044>046-TXZ085-086-088>090-211345-
COTTON OK-GRADY OK-TILLMAN OK-JEFFERSON OK-STEPHENS OK-COMANCHE OK-
CARTER OK-BAYLOR TX-WICHITA TX-WILBARGER TX-CLAY TX-ARCHER TX-
756 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COTTON…SOUTHERN GRADY…
TILLMAN…JEFFERSON…STEPHENS…CENTRAL COMANCHE…WESTERN CARTER…
NORTHERN BAYLOR…WICHITA…EASTERN WILBARGER…NORTHERN CLAY AND
NORTHERN ARCHER COUNTIES UNTIL 845 AM CDT…
AT 754 AM CDT…THUNDERSTORMS SOME STRONG WERE ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
FOSTER TO 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAYBACK…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE…
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS…
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH…
Hazardous weather outlook, National Weather Service, Norman
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
5:00 AM TUE MAY 21 2013
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-NOBLE-
ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-BECKHAM-
WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-CLEVELAND-
POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-TILLMAN-
COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-JEFFERSON-
CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-FOARD-WILBARGER-
WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
TUE MAY 21 2013
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
LOCATION…
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS EAST OF A LINE FROM WICHITA FALLS TEXAS…
TO SHAWNEE OKLAHOMA.
IMPACTS…
IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA…THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE HAIL UP TO THE
SIZE OF HALF DOLLARS THIS MORNING. THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING…
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA WILL HAVE A RISK OF HAIL
UP TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH IN THE
STRONGEST STORMS. TORNADOES MAY ALSO OCCUR ACROSS PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY THIS EVENING.
TIMING…
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM NOW
THROUGH 8 PM. THE RISK WILL END FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS…
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS UNTIL 8 PM.
DISCUSSION…
STRONG INSTABILITY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS APPROXIMATELY THE SOUTHEAST TWO THIRDS OF OKLAHOMA…INTO
NORTH TEXAS. VERTICAL WIND PROFILES WILL FAVOR STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THIS SAME REGION. AN UPPER-LEVEL WAVE WILL
HELP DRIVE A SURFACE COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING…PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT. THE STORMS
ARE LIKELY TO BE CONCENTRATED ALONG THIS FRONT FOR MOST OF THE
DAY. INITIALLY…MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN
ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. BY AFTERNOON…LARGER
HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BECOME THE MAIN CONCERNS…AS THE
FRONT BEGINS TO MOVE SOUTHEAST. AS THE FRONT CONTINUES ITS
SOUTHEAST MOVEMENT INTO GREATER INSTABILITY AND MORE
SUPPORTIVE WINDS…THE RISKS OF VERY LARGE HAIL…VERY STRONG
WINDS…AND TORNADOES WILL INCREASE…MAINLY OVER SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT WEDNESDAY MAY 22.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…100 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR…80 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
NONE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY
THROUGH SATURDAY. STORMS TOMORROW…IF THEY FORM AT ALL…ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. HOWEVER…THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE STORMS OVER SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS LATE
THURSDAY. A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
NONE.
Milla Jovovich offers prayers for Oklahoma via twitter
Milla Jovovich (AP)
Actress Milla Jovovich, who filmed the movie “Bringing Up Bobby” in Oklahoma, tweeted prayers for Oklahoma following Monday’s tornado.
“i want to send my prayers to all the people of Oklahoma struck by the tornado,” she wrote via twitter. “i have friends there as well and i pray that everyone is safe!”
She followed with “i can’t imagine what the Plaza Towers Elementary parents are going through right now and my heart is with you all through this tragedy.”
Jovovich is in Cannes, France for the Cannes Film Festival. The actress has starred in the blockbuster “Resident Evil” film series.
President Barack Obama Will Make Statement Today About Tornado Damage, Disaster Declaration Approved
President Barack Obama approved a major disaster declaration for Oklahoma to help move federal resources to Oklahoma in the wake of the devastating tornadoes that hit this week.
Obama is expected to make a statement this morning, around 9 a.m. central time, after receiving a briefing from top Homeland Security officials.
The president sent FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to Oklahoma.
According to a White House official, FEMA on Monday began deploying additional resourcesincluding:
· An Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to the state emergency operations center in Oklahoma City to coordinate with state and local officials in support of recovery operations.
· 3 national Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams and an additional Incident Support Team have been activated to support the immediate response efforts.
· A Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) Team is in Oklahoma to provide self-sustaining telecommunications, logistics, and operations support elements, to assist in the immediate response needs.
· Preliminary damage assessment (PDA) teams are on the ground and will begin assessments today, which will assist the state in identifying additional eligible federal assistance that may be warranted.
· 3 Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are scheduled to arrive later today to help impacted residents register for disaster assistance. Survivors can register for assistance right now by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by going to disasterassistance.gov.
Following the Major Disaster Declaration, additional resources beyond these immediate assets will also be available to support response and recovery efforts, including for affected individuals and small business.
Obama talked to Gov. Mary Fallin on Monday. He also talked to Rep. Tom Cole, a Moore Republican, “to express his concern for those who had been impacted and his deep condolences for the many who have lost loved ones as a result of the horrible tornadoes,” the White House official said. “The President praised the brave first responders, and made clear that the country would stand behind the people of Oklahoma as they continued to respond and recover.”
