State Emergency Management Launches Hotline for Reports of Damages Related to Ice Storm

NEWS RELEASE

Office of Governor Brad Henry
State of Oklahoma
State Capitol – Oklahoma City OK 73105
405-521-2342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 12/12/2007

To help identify and document the need for federal Individual Assistance related to this week’s ice storm, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management will open a call center at 7 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 13. Residents and business owners who have uninsured ice-storm damages are urged to call the toll-free Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline (866) 560-7584 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Operators will be on-hand to take the calls daily.

The Oklahoma Damage Assessment Hotline is needed to gather preliminary damage information that, in turn, will strengthen the state’s application for federal disaster assistance for individuals and business owners. The damage reports will identify where damage assessment teams need to check in an effort to build the case that many Oklahomans need disaster assistance.

Callers will be asked to provide their name, address of the damaged property and the type of damage their property sustained. They will also be asked if they sustained financial loss because their business or place of employment was closed due to the storm.

Additionally, joint teams of FEMA, state and local officials will begin assessing infrastructure damage delivered by the ice storm. The preliminary damage assessments are needed to support a request for federal Public Assistance for cities, towns and counties. The teams will be looking at roads, bridges and public facilities damaged by the storm, as well as the costs associated with debris removal.

###