Nineteen counties including Tulsa have been approved for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance for infrastructure repairs following the severe storms and tornadoes that hit the state in June.
The counties are eligible for more than $12.6 million in damage assistance from the storms, according to a City of Tulsa news release.
In the Tulsa area alone, more than 160,000 Public Service Company customers had their power knocked out from heavy wind and rains that hit the city over Father's Day weekend. Public officials said storm damage to the city's convention center alone was enough to qualify the city for FEMA assistance.
Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency Director Joe Kralicek said FEMA's delay in announcing assistance was unusual.
"Over the weekend, I know the state was in conversations with the White House regarding this," Kralicek said Monday.
The storm also damaged more than 1,000 homes in the Tulsa area. Kralicek said state officials told him this wouldn't be enough to qualify the city for individual FEMA assistance.
The Small Business Administration has made recovery loans available to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits in the Tulsa area. Kralicek said SBA had received 147 loan applications at the end of last week, which is more than they usually do following disasters.
