Gov. Kevin Stitt met with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in Washington, D.C. to discuss Oklahoma agriculture and how the state and federal government can work together to support Oklahoma farmers and ranchers in the wake of flooding.
“I was honored to meet with Secretary Perdue as we talked about ways to move Oklahoma forward and support our hard-working farmers and ranchers that are a staple for both our state and national economy,” said Stitt. “I applaud Secretary Perdue and President Trump who have been champions for our farmers and ranchers across the country and key players in helping secure $3 billion in federal resources for our farmers who have experienced significant damage to their operations in the past few months. I also look forward to working with Secretary Perdue as our state works to become the number one location for future job opportunities related to rural Oklahoma and the ag-based economy.”
During the discussion, Stitt thanked the Trump administration for their work in securing disaster relief for Oklahoma’s farmers who have experienced damages and losses due to recent flooding and severe weather.
President Trump signed legislation that provides $3 billion for farmers and ranchers across the United States in need of support as they begin the long recovery process.
The governor and Perdue also spoke about funding from USDA to continue to control and work toward eradication of feral hogs. Invasive feral hogs cost Oklahoma farmers and ranchers significantly, causing damage to growing crops and forages, potentially carrying disease to livestock, and other risks.
Stitt encouraged the Trump administration to consider Oklahoma for the location of future federal ag-related jobs, praising the administration for its efforts to move the presence of federal agencies outside of Washington, D.C.
Disaster recovery Centers
Joint state/federal Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) opened June 14 at Sand Springs in Tulsa County and at Fort Gibson in Muskogee County.
A DRC offers in-person support to individuals and businesses in counties included in the Oklahoma federal disaster declaration for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that began on May 7.
Recovery specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) will be at the centers to talk about assistance and to help anyone who needs guidance in filing an application. The centers are at the following locations:
- Case Community Center, 1050 W. Wekiwa Road, Sand Springs
- Ft. Gibson High School, 500 S. Ross Street, Ft. Gibson
The hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week (until further notice).
Disaster recovery centers are accessible to people with disabilities. American Sign Language interpreters may be available to assist at a DRC.
If possible, homeowners, renters and businesses should have contacted their insurance company and registered with FEMA before visiting a center. Registration is available at DisasterAssistance.gov. or call 800-621-3362.
The following information is helpful when registering:
- Address of the location where the damage occurred (pre-disaster address).
- Current mailing address.
- Current telephone number.
- Insurance information.
- Total household annual income.
- Routing and account number for checking or savings account (this allows FEMA to directly transfer disaster assistance funds into a bank account).
- A description of disaster-caused damage and losses.
The designated counties for eligible applicants are Canadian, Creek, Delaware, Kay, Logan, Mayes, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Payne, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington.
Individual assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs.
Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available to businesses, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters to cover residential and business losses as a result of the disaster.
Applicants can visit their nearest disaster recovery center for one-on-one assistance or apply online using SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
In addition, applicants can get more information on SBA disaster assistance by calling SBA’s
Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, by visiting www.sba.gov/disaster.