Beebe seeks federal disaster declaration for storm

— Gov. Mike Beebe is asking President Barack Obama to declare a major disaster for damage from a winter storm that struck on Christmas Day in central Arkansas.

Beebe on Tuesday said seven Arkansas counties sustained an estimated $9 million in storm damage and that three-fourths of that sum was incurred for storm debris removal.

State and federal teams have been conducting damage assessment since the storm.

The disaster declaration would enable state and local entities to recover some costs from the storm response.

Affected counties are Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties.

Beebe says the state did not meet eligibility requirements for federal assistance for individuals.

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