DELAYED AID

Disaster recovery funds from 2019 storms not yet spent in Oklahoma

Nearly five years after deadly storms in 2019, $3.7 million in federal funds awarded to the state for long-term disaster recovery remain to be spent and an administrator is being sought to rebuild and rehabilitate damaged homes.

It’s not unusual for disaster recovery grants to take so long to reach survivors, said Becky Samples, director of marketing and communications for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, which received the funds from a federal Community Development Block Grant.

About 90% of the full $36.3 million grant has been spent on related mitigation and recovery from the May-June 2019 disaster, which left damage from tornadoes, high winds and flooding, Samples said. This program is focused on housing for low-to-moderate income households.

“There are unmet housing needs even though this disaster occurred several years ago,” Samples said. “The CDBG funds for disaster recovery are not designed to provide immediate relief like FEMA funds. These funds have a longer timeline and are designed to address longer-term recovery efforts.”

Damage in Oklahoma from severe weather in May-June 2019

The state Commerce Department is looking for a subrecipient to administer the $3,677,850 Single-family Housing Rehabilitation Program for survivors of the May-June 2019 disaster.

Damage occurred in Alfalfa, Canadian, Cherokee, Craig, Creek, Delaware,

Garfield, Kay, Kingfisher, Le Flore, Logan, Mayes, Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, Washington and Woods counties.

Eligible subrecipients include: housing nonprofit organizations, councils of government, units of general local government, tribal nations, and state agencies.

The deadline for applying through the agency’s OKGrants process is 5 p.m. Feb. 29. For guidance, email Jade Shain at Jade.Shain@okcommerce.gov or Rebecca LaVictoire at Rebecca.LaVictoire@okcommerce.gov.

The state Commerce Department has another $7.5 million in CDBG grants yet to be allocated to address natural disasters in 2022, Samples said.

Damage from those storms occurred in Adair County, Cherokee County, Muskogee County, Okmulgee County, Pottawatomie County, Seminole County, Tulsa County and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

“These (CDBG) funds have a longer timeline and are designed to address longer-term recovery efforts.” Becky Samples Director of marketing and communications for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce

The Skyview Mobile Home Park was damaged by a tornado that touched down May 2019 in El Reno.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER/ THE OKLAHOMAN FILE Storm damage is evident and debris is left behind at the Skyview Mobile Home Park after a tornado in El Reno. The EF3 tornado killed two people and injuring many others.