FEMA approves additional counties in Oklahoma for assistance following storms

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on Friday that additional counties in Oklahoma are now approved for individual and public assistance following severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that begin in the state on May 5.

Homeowners, renters and business owners in four more Oklahoma counties – Choctaw, Cotton, Rogers and Tillman – affected by storms that occurred from May 5 through June 4 can now apply for state and federal disaster assistance, FEMA said in a statement, bringing the total approved to 24. Federal public assistance is now also available to 14 more counties, totalling 54 of the state’s 77 counties.

Related: Death toll climbs to 19 from storms in Texas, Oklahoma; more rain falls on hard hit Houston

FEMA reported that disaster assistance for qualified applicants may include:

• Grants for rental assistance or temporary housing;

• Grants for home repairs not covered by insurance;

• Grants for serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance — such as medical, dental, funeral, personal property, vehicles and moving and storage; and

• Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may be available to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, and homeowners and renters for losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Related: Insured losses from flooding in Oklahoma and Texas “set to easily exceed” US$1 billion: Aon Benfield

Public assistance funding helps repair or rebuild public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water systems, utilities and public buildings such as schools. Types of entities that may be eligible for public assistance include local governments and special districts; certain private nonprofit organizations or institutions that conduct activities of a governmental nature and are open to the general public; federally recognized tribes; and state government agencies.

Storms and floods in Texas and Oklahoma have claimed at least 19 lives since the end of May.

At least 2 dead in Oklahoma flooding as remnants of Tropical Storm Bill move north http://t.co/fbncpKDpp0 pic.twitter.com/DVw0ZQrwQE

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 19, 2015

Official: Oklahoma Storm Damage May Exceed $150 Million http://t.co/Wljjpct0tB #News9 pic.twitter.com/1TFvRqdm3P

— News 9 (@NEWS9) June 2, 2015

Flooding Destroys One Of Oklahoma’s Oldest Bridges http://t.co/zwP7pZFyP1 #News9 pic.twitter.com/tJT9vvuWnY

— News 9 (@NEWS9) June 19, 2015