Rogers County To Apply For FEMA Grant Funding To Help Residents With Storm Shelter Rebates

Rogers County is working to secure grant funding from FEMA to help residents with storm shelter rebates. With severe storms able to happen at any time, Rogers County leaders are trying to make sure that people are prepared.

Rogers County is going to hold four meetings in May where qualified residents can sign up and potentially get a rebate, possibly up to $3,000, on a storm shelter. However, county leaders need at least 150 people to sign up so that the county can show the state that there is enough interest in the program in order to get the funding to help families who qualify.

"What we are hoping for is at least 100 grants to help 100 families purchase a storm shelter, and with that, we are hoping for at least $3,000 per family to assist them," Scotty Stokes, Rogers County Director of emergency management said.

To qualify, Rogers County residents cannot own a storm shelter already, your main residence must be on your own property, and you must attend one of the four meetings in May to sign up. Again, the grant could significantly reduce the cost of a storm shelter for families.

"Storm shelters these days, as anything, went up in price, and this grant is going to be a great opportunity for the citizens to get at least part of that money back in return of purchasing a storm shelter for the family," Stokes said.

The county is hoping for at least 100 grants to help out at least 100 families, but it is possible that not everyone who signs up will receive the grant. In the event that there are more families signed up for the grant than there are grants available, the county said that it could use some sort of lottery system to select who gets the grant.

To sign up, you must attend one of four meetings in May:

1. May 10 - City of Oologah from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the North West Fire Protection District station 1
2. May 11 - City of Chelsea from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chelsea Fire Department
3. May 12 - City of Inola from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Inola City Hall
4. May 12 - City of Claremore from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at County Building in front of the EXPO

You do not have to stay for the entire time, because signing up should only take about 20 minutes, according to the Rogers County Emergency Management team.