Oklahoma Saferoom Rebate Applications Closed For Now

NewsOn6.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma residents wanting to apply for reimbursement for the installation of a safe or storm shelter in their home will have to wait.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management says communities and counties which had applied and were awarded FEMA grant money to cover seventy-five percent of the cost of homeowners putting a safe room in their home are no longer accepting new applications.

Keli Cain, spokesperson for OEM says many of those government entities are either reviewing or waiting for approval of the individual applications they've received from homeowners.

Cain says the process from applying for the rebate and actually getting a check back may take between 1 and 2 years.

Many of the communities and counties which applied the first time around, plan to submit new FEMA grant requests for additional funds so they can again accept new individual applications.

Cain says other communities are still waiting on word from FEMA, like Yukon, so it can offer the program for its residents.

And Oklahoma, Tulsa and Rogers counties are planning to apply to FEMA as well.

List of communities and counties which took part in the FEMA program according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management:

    # Applicant Name / Project / Detail Status

1. Ardmore (City) Individual Safe Room Rebate Program In Review or Approval Process
2. Atoka (City) Individual Safe Rooms for the City of Atoka (Shell of an application received 3/25/2011- Mainly damage history) In Review or Approval Process
3. Atoka, County of Individual Safe Room Rebate Program In Review or Approval Process
4. Hughes County Individual Safe Room Rebate Program In Review or Approval Process
5. Lone Grove (City) Individual Safe Rooms for Lone Grove In Review or Approval Process
6. Muskogee County Individual Safe Rooms for Muskogee County In Review or Approval Process
7. Okfuskee County Individual Saferoom Phase I Individual Safe Room Project In Review or Approval Process
8. Okfuskee County Individual Saferoom Phase II Individual Safe Room Project In Review or Approval Process
9. Osage County Individual Safe Room Rebate Program In Review or Approval Process
10. Pittsburg County Individual Safe Room Rebate Program In Review or Approval Process
11. Altus (City) Individual Safe Room Project Approved and funded – Application period has ended
12. Delaware County Individual Safe Room Project #2 Approved and funded – Application period has ended
13. Comanche County Individual Safe Room Project Approved – Application period has ended
14. Ponca City (City) Individual Safe Room Project Approved and funded – Application period has ended
15. Carter County Individual Safe Room Project Approved and funded – Application period has ended
16. Delaware County Individual Safe Room Project #1 Completed and Closed Out
17. Lawton (City) Individual Safe Room Project Completed and Closed Out
18. Logan County Individual Safe Room Project Completed and Closed Out
19. Love County Individual Safe Room Project Approved and funded – Application period has ended
20. Midwest City (City) Individual Safe Room Project Approved and funded – Application period has ended
21. OEM Individual Safe Room Project Completed and Closed Out
22. OEM Individual Safe Room Project Completed and Closed Out

6/8/2011 Related Story: FEMA Grant Program Helps Some Oklahomans With Shelter Costs