Ice Storm Disaster Aid Reaches $122 Million
Release Date: April 23, 2001
Release Number: 1355-23
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Denton, TX -- Four months after the Christmas Day ice storm, Oklahomans are still cleaning up and repairing damages. To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Oklahoma Department of Civil Emergency Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have funneled $122.26 million in disaster aid to Oklahomans.
The bulk of the assistance, $107.78 million has paid for infrastructure damages. These include repairs to roads and bridges, public facilities, public utilities along with costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures. FEMA can reimburse city, county, and state governments 100 percent of reasonable costs to remove eligible debris for this disaster.
"We have 72 debris monitors statewide who check to see that contractors remove only eligible debris. Eliminating the ineligible debris helps keep the taxpayers' costs down and reduces the chance that local governments will have to pay contractors for debris that FEMA cannot pay for," said Moises Dugan, deputy federal coordinating officer.
"Doing a good job monitoring the debris removal process lessens the chance that an audit by the Office of Inspector General will show ineligible debris removal costs were paid. Such audit findings could require local governments to repay those ineligible costs," added Fred Liebe, state coordinating officer.
Other assistance includes 11,244 checks totaling $9.45 million for disaster housing, 2,109 checks totaling $1.46 million for Individual and Family Grants, and 713 checks totaling $3.56 million for SBA individual and business low interest loans.
Last Modified: Monday, 20-Oct-2003 12:50:37