FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 9/11/2007

(Oklahoma City) Federal authorities today approved public assistance for nine additional counties hard hit by severe weather from June 10 to July 25, according to Gov. Brad Henry.

The counties are Custer, Hughes, Jefferson, Kiowa, McIntosh, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Payne and Pottawatomie. With the latest action, a total of 50 counties have now been approved for public assistance for the June 10 to July 25 storms.

Under a disaster declaration for public assistance, local governments are eligible to receive aid for repairs of public infrastructure such as roads and bridges and other costs incurred in responding to the storms.

“We sustained a great deal of damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure across the state, and the federal disaster declaration will be a great help as we make the necessary repairs,” said Gov. Henry. “We will keep pushing for additional federal assistance as ongoing damage assessments are completed.”

The governor also announced today that the state has asked federal authorities for additional individual and public assistance for damages related to severe weather that has occurred since August 18.

The request seeks individual assistance for 17 more Oklahoma counties including, Canadian, Cleveland, Comanche, Custer, Dewey, Grady, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Seminole and Stephens. Already 1,323 applications for assistance have been received from residents and business owners in Blaine, Caddo and Kingfisher counties which were previously approved for individual assistance for the August storms.

The governor also requested public assistance for 20 additional counties including, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Garvin, Grady, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, McClain, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Stephens and Washita. The 20 counties sustained at least $21.4 million in infrastructure damage due to the severe storms, according to preliminary damage reports.

As more damage assessment surveys are completed throughout the state, Gov. Henry said he will request that other counties be added to the declaration for assistance as conditions warrant.

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