SoonerSafe - Safe Room Rebate Program
2025 Rebate Program Launched
Registration is now OPEN for the 2025 rebate cycle. The 2025 rebates will give priority to residents impacted by the 2024 disaster declarations in the following counties: Blaine, Caddo, Carter, Craig, Custer, Delaware, Hughes, Jackson, Johnston, Kay, Lincoln, Love, Mayes, McClain, Murray, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Washington, and Washita.
If any funding remains after serving homeowners in these counties, a random selection drawing will be held for applicants from other counties.
2024 Rebate Program Update
Registration for the 2024 SoonerSafe program is closed. All registrations submitted before October 31, 2023, were included in the random selection process for 2024 safe room rebates. Recipients of the 2024 grants will be notified through email from soonersafe@oem.ok.gov and may be followed up with a phone call from OEM staff.
Registration Portal Update
The previous SoonerSafe registration portal has been phased out, so status updates will NOT be available in the SoonerSafe portal for rebates beginning with the 2024 cycle. If you have submitted a registration, please watch your email for updates from SoonerSafe@oem.ok.gov.
Performance Report on Safe Room Program Shelters
On May 20, 2013, an EF-5 tornado tore through Moore, Oklahoma, causing widespread devastation, including 24 lives lost and extensive structural damage. FEMA’s post-storm investigation examines how safe rooms and storm shelters in the tornado’s path held up, identifies strengths and weaknesses in their design and use, and offers recommendations for future shelter safety.
This document provides findings on both above-ground and below-ground safe rooms—what performed well, what failed (and why), construction quality issues, and insights from homeowners. Key recommendations include improving public awareness about safe room registration, enforcing standards for doors and flood risk, and ensuring materials and construction methods meet FEMA and ICC/NSSA criteria.
