Henry: FEMA Approves Public Assistance

Governor Henry announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved his request for public assistance for three Oklahoma counties hit hard by this month’s severe storms and tornadoes.

Additionally, federal officials granted the governor’s request for another six counties to receive public assistance in the wake of the January ice storm.

The designation delivers federal funding to assist municipalities, counties and rural electric cooperatives with infrastructure repairs, debris removal and costs associated with responding to the storms.

Carter, Coal and Love counties are approved for public assistance for the February 10 severe storms and tornadoes. Those same storms already resulted in individual assistance being approved Feb. 15 for Carter, Logan and Oklahoma counties.

Comanche, Haskell, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee and Sequoyah counties are approved for public assistance for the Jan. 26 ice storm. Those counties join four others -- Adair, Cherokee, Delaware and Hughes -- already approved for public assistance.

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FEMA Approves Henry's Disaster Request

Twenty-four counties hard hit by severe storms last month will receive federal public assistance, Governor Henry announced today.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the governor’s request for aid, ensuring that federal funding will assist cities, towns and counties with infrastructure repairs and other related costs.

The assistance entails storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred between June 3 and June 20.

The impacted counties are: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kiowa, Major, Okfuskee, Osage, Ottawa, Roger Mills, Rogers, Tillman, Washita and Woods.

Other counties can be added to the declaration as additional information becomes available.

“The torrential storms that pounded parts of Oklahoma throughout June caused significant damages,” Henry said. “On behalf of those communties that were hit hard, I am grateful that President Bush and FEMA officials have approved public assistance.”

The storms resulted in more than $9.6 million in infrastructure damage, particularly with regard to roads, bridges and rural electric cooperatives.

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FEMA Denies Henry's Appeal

Federal officials have formally denied Oklahoma’s appeal for individual assistance in the December ice storm, according to the governor’s office.

Governor Henry called the decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency disappointing and frustrating. “We worked with the FEMA coordinator on site to compile our aid request and documented the appropriate damages, all of which are reimbursable under federal guidelines,” said the governor. “We felt we met all of the necessary thresholds, but FEMA still said no, not once but twice. Oklahoma ice storm victims did not get a fair shake on disaster assistance.”

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Coburn, Sullivan Want Explanation From FEMA

Senator Tom Coburn and Congressman John Sullivan of Tulsa want the Federal Emergency Management Agency to explain how it makes disaster aid decisions, such as its denial of help to Oklahomans with uninsured losses in last month's ice storm. Coburn and Sullivan wrote FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison Thursday asking that the agency comply with a new law that seeks greater transparency in FEMA decisions.

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FEMA Denies Individual Assistance Request; Henry Reported 'Outraged,' Expresses Disappointment

Governor Henry, reportedly "outraged," said today he is deeply disappointed and frustrated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied Oklahoma’s request for individual assistance for people hit hard by last month’s deadly ice storm.

Henry said the state will appeal the decision.

“I don’t understand how FEMA could assess the extensive damages from that ice storm and not conclude the obvious,” he said. “This was a storm of historic proportions that caused damage to both public property and private property. With more than 13,000 damage reports received by the state, individual assistance is certainly justified.”

On January 9, Henry requested individual assistance for Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, although state emergency management officials had indicated that additional counties would be added if the request was approved. Henry said he and state emergency management officials knew the request could be denied in light of Oklahoma’s experience with the January 2007 ice storm, in which FEMA had also denied individual assistance. “But we remained optimistic,” he said. “After receiving nine presidential disaster declarations in one year, which included back-to-back flooding events, ice and snow storms, we felt the case for additional assistance had been made.

“The ice storm was a full-fledged catastrophe. It knocked out power to more than 640,000 Oklahoma homes and businesses, many of which were not able to have power restored for more than a week. The disaster resulted in at least 29 deaths. If the ice storm did not warrant federal assistance for the many Oklahomans who were impacted, then nothing does.”

On two other occasions in the past eight years, individual assistance was granted for winter storms that were no more severe than the one that crippled much of Oklahoma in December. President Bush last month granted Henry’s request for public assistance to 25 counties impacted by the storm. Under that declaration, federal assistance is available for expenses related to infrastructure damage including roads, bridges and public facilities, as well as the costs of debris removal.

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Inhofe: Restore FEMA As Stand-Alone Agency

Senator Jim Inhofe today introduced legislation removing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Inhofe’s “Federal Emergency Management Advancement Act of 2007” returns FEMA to its pre-9/11 status as an independent agency led by a presidential appointee and also gives deference to state governments in determining disaster incident periods.

“FEMA’s integration into the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11 added an extra level of bureaucracy and removed much of the oversight and autonomy that once kept the agency operating efficiently,” Senator Inhofe said. “Oklahomans experienced this inefficiency first-hand after a series of winter storms and summer flooding caused extensive damage to our state this year.

“For the better part of the summer, Oklahoma was hit by heavy rain, tornadoes, and flooding – and FEMA was once again slow to respond. Aid was further delayed because of a disagreement between FEMA and the State of Oklahoma over the correct dates of the incident periods. It simply makes sense that the State would have the most accurate information available regarding the disasters and their causes, so I have also included language in my bill stating that the Director should give deference to State documentation when determining disaster incident periods.

“Prior to FEMA’s placement under Homeland Security, Oklahoma did not encounter these same bureaucratic delays and other problems in the wake of natural disasters. My legislation will make FEMA more responsive and more efficient, creating an agency that will serve the American people to a level that is expected when these life changing disasters occur.”

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Emergency Officials Conducting Damage Surveys

Governor Brad Henry said today that state emergency management officials are already conducting damage assessment surveys of homes and businesses in the aftermath of torrential storms that have battered many sections of the state. In addition, emergency management officials have been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about a likely request for federal assistance. The Governor stressed that the top priority is to focus on rescue efforts now underway.

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FEMA Stonewalls, Coburn Demands Explanation

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) claims it can't release information about why it denied individual assistance to Oklahoma after last winter's ice storms and Senator Tom Coburn is demanding an explanation. He says FEMA's failure to explain its reasons for denying aid is unacceptable.

The request for FEMA aid was made by Governor Brad Henry.

A FEMA administrator said the request was denied because it was determined the state could adequately respond to the damage from the ice storm.

Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Henry, says the application for assistance made a strong, clear case. He said state officials are baffled by FEMA's denial.

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FEMA Does It Again; Henry Reacts

Governor Brad Henry expressed disbelief and disappointment today after hearing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of the state’s appeal for individual assistance for those recovering from January’s ice storms.

“Obviously, I am extremely disappointed,” Henry said. “It is stunning that they would deny our request when they have granted individual assistance in the past under similar circumstances.”

FEMA earlier this month denied the state’s original request for individual assistance and the governor immediately appealed the decision. Public assistance has been granted for 44 affected counties.

“The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, our state’s entire congressional delegation and I have all stressed to FEMA our need for individual assistance in the affected counties, backing up our request with hard figures documenting damages suffered by individuals” the governor said. “That FEMA would continue to deny Oklahomans needed assistance is unconscionable, and I will continue to do all I can to get help for those most affected by the ice storms.”

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Henry: State Will Appeal FEMA Ruling

Governor Brad Henry said today he is disappointed and frustrated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied individual assistance to eastern Oklahoma counties hit hard by January ice storms. Although FEMA had already granted public assistance for 42 impacted counties, the agency determined that individual assistance was not warranted. Henry said the state will appeal FEMA’s decision.

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FEMA Approves 20 More Counties For Assistance

Governor Brad Henry announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved 20 additional Oklahoma counties for public assistance in the aftermath of winter storms that hit the state earlier this year. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management requested last week that the counties be added to 22 counties that had already been approved for such federal aid. The new counties are Alfalfa, Canadian, Comanche, Dewey, Garvin, Grant, Greer, Jackson, Jefferson, Kay, Lincoln, Osage, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tillman, Tulsa, Washington, Washita and Woods.

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Inhofe Rips FEMA, Pledges Changes

By U. S. Senator Jim Inhofe ~ When disasters occur, be they man-made or natural, we turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for federal assistance. Most recently, our state suffered historic losses due to ice, sleet and freezing rain. Immediately after the storm, I traveled through some of the most devastated parts of Oklahoma and saw firsthand the extent of damage. Despite quick action by the state, FEMA was inefficient and slow to respond to the request for assistance – this is unacceptable. Oklahomans should expect more from FEMA and if I have my way, we will get it.

After 9/11, FEMA was removed as a stand-alone agency under the jurisdiction of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee (which I chaired) and was integrated under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This transition added an extra level of bureaucracy and removed much of the oversight and autonomy that once kept FEMA operating efficiently. As ranking member of the EPW committee, I can site dozens of examples where FEMA provided better service before it became part of DHS. For this reason, I am introducing legislation that will remove FEMA from the Department of Homeland Security and will return it to its pre-9/11 status as an independent agency led by a presidential appointee.

Oklahomans are all too familiar with FEMA’s shortcomings since 9/11. After wildfires ravaged the plains of Oklahoma last summer and blizzards and ice storms left a wake of destruction throughout the state this winter, Oklahomans rightfully looked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for help. In both instances, we were left frustrated by slow and inefficient responses.

It wasn’t until several of Oklahoma’s elected officials applied heavy-handed pressure to FEMA that our state was able to receive any federal aid for last summer’s wildfires. Due to that experience, when the most recent ice storm hit Oklahoma I was prepared to go directly to the President and demand assistance if FEMA did not respond quickly. Though Governor Henry acted immediately and President Bush shortly followed suit, Oklahomans were left suffering for weeks before FEMA finally took action. Even then, the response was dismal at best and several communities have yet to be afforded relief.

FEMA’s inefficiencies are unacceptable and something must change NOW. My legislation will make FEMA more responsive and more efficient, creating an agency that will serve the American people to a level that is expected when these life changing events occur. Oklahoma will recover, we always do, but we deserve better from the very agencies that are funded by the taxes we pay.

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