Public Assistance
Public Assistance (PA) helps communities recover from major disasters by providing federal grant funding to repair and restore critical public infrastructure. PA serves eligible applicants that include state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as certain nonprofit organizations.
Through PA, state and local governments can receive support for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and permanent work projects that repair or replace damaged public facilities.
The program also encourages hazard mitigation during the recovery process, reducing future risks and building stronger, more resilient communities.
By partnering with federal and local stakeholders, OEM guides applicants through every step of the process, from damage assessments to final project closeout, ensuring that recovery is effective, accountable and sustainable.
Who's Eligible?
Public Assistance funding is available to help organizations that provide essential services to the community. Eligible applicants include:
- State, county, city, and tribal governments
- Special districts such as school districts, utilities, or water authorities
- Certain nonprofit organizations that provide critical services, like hospitals, education, power, water, emergency, or public safety
For nonprofits that provide essential community services (such as community centers, senior centers, or shelters), eligibility may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
New! State Assistance Revolving Fund
The Oklahoma legislature established the State Assistance Dedicated for Disaster-impacted Local Economies Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund) to provide Oklahoma government subdivisions with critically needed funding advances to cover their immediate financial liquidity needs following a Presidentially declared emergency or disaster.
To aid recovery and reconstruction, the legislature directed the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) to administer the Revolving Fund. The following describes the policies and procedures OEM uses to assess borrower eligibility, approve and disburse funds, collect repayments, and manage the fund.
PA Simplified Procedures for Small Projects
In August, 2022, FEMA implemented a regulatory change to increase the small project maximum for the FEMA Public Assistance Program to $1 million for 2023. Simplified procedures allow FEMA to fund eligible small projects based on estimates, which expedites disaster recovery funding to applicants and reduces administrative burden. Find out more about how OEM is administering the new small project threshold.
Debris Management
A Debris Management Plan Template is available for use by any jurisdiction. For more information, click here.
