Federal Resources as Midwest Copes with Tornado Aftermath

In wake of the devastating tornadoes that struck Oklahoma and other midwestern states this weekend, ANCOR hopes to be helpful to our members who support people with disabilities in these difficult times. As we wait for state-specific recovery and assistance information to become available, we are re-sharing our Disaster Relief Page as a resource. The page contains information specific to addressing emergencies from a disability perspective. Readers who become aware of resources that could be informative either for this weekend’s emergencies or in general are encouraged to email them to [email protected] – we will share content on the page as appropriate.

Pending more updates on the tornado response, we are sharing the notice of the President’s approval of Oklahoma’s emergency declaration, a process which unlocks additional federal support for the state:

“Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the State of Oklahoma and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from flooding beginning on May 7, 2019, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Haskell, Kay, LeFlore, Muskogee, Noble, Osage, Pawnee, Sequoyah, Tulsa, and Wagoner.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Pete Gaynor, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gerard M. Stolar as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR [email protected].”