Rep. Pat Ownbey of Ardmore says Oklahomans were reminded how vulnerable they can be when several tornadoes ripped through the state in May. Ownbey says lawmakers should take a look at incentives for having storm shelters that better protect Oklahomans.
In 1999, the Federal Emergency Management Agency began the Oklahoma Residential Shelter Initiative. The rebate program was funded with $12 million in federal hazard mitigation funds and resulted in the creation of 6,016 safe room shelters throughout Oklahoma.
In 2003, Oklahoma authorized Operation Safe Room, a similar rebate program giving more than $3 million in rebates by paying 75 percent of the cost of a storm shelter, up to $2,000.
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