Lawmakers send Oklahoma governor bills allocating $45 million in disaster relief
"A Sulphur Lives Matter Yall!" sign sits outside a home heavily damaged by a tornado near downtown Sulphur on April 29. A swath of downtown was damaged by a weekend tornado. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — Lawmakers sent two measures to the governor that would provide $45 million in disaster relief for counties impacted by the recent tornadoes.
House Bill 2912 creates a new fund for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management to offer loans to local governments that have been approved for FEMA disaster aid. The loans are designed to help cover costs associated with temporary housing, infrastructure repairs, debris removal and other recovery efforts. Governments could also use the money to help cover the local match needed to receive federal assistance, officials said.
House Bill 2913 provides $30 million in funding to the account as well as another $15 million to a state fund to cover a match the state must contribute to qualify for FEMA aid.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has declared multiple states of emergency since April. Eight counties were approved for federal disaster assistance, including Carter, Hughes, Love, Murray, Okmulgee, Osage, Pontotoc and Washita.
Weekend storms in April dropped at least 34 tornadoes that left four dead and over 100 injured. Earlier this month, a separate tornado hit the town of Barnsdall, about 40 miles north of Tulsa, killing at least one, injuring eight and damaging up to 40 homes.
Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, the measure’s author, praised the legislation.
“It’s been heartbreaking to see the extensive tornado damage in communities across the state,” Hall said in a statement. “These relief funds will immediately give Oklahomans the capital they need to recover and start over while also helping localities unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid.”
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