MAYFLOWER — Most of the “major, major repairs” to Mayflower homes damaged in the April 27, 2014, tornado have been completed, said Janice Mann, recovery coordinator for the Interfaith and Partners Disaster Recovery Alliance.
“We’ve still got some leaky roofs; maybe they tried to patch them and they’re not holding, or whatever they did didn’t work,” she said.
The organization is helping individuals affected by the tornado and has been working through a long list.
“We are really going over the project list with a fine-tooth comb to see where we are and what we lack. Once they get that done, we will go through the client list and get our priorities down,” Mann said.
“We’ve made contact with everybody who had needs, so if we’ve missed anybody, they need to let us know,” Mann said. She can be reached at (501) 205-6873.
Mayor Randy Holland said 54 homes were destroyed in the city limits; 18 had major damage ,and 60 had minor damage. Outside the city limits, 71 were destroyed; 16 had major damage, and 71 had minor damage.
“Some who had trailers and things actually built a house back,” Holland said.
Seven Habitat for Humanity of Faulkner County homes were dedicated in March in Mayflower.
“We’re doing the closings on those right now,” Mann said. “We will start getting [the families] moved in and help them get household goods.”
Holland said those homes are a welcome addition to the city.
“One thing I’m pushing hard — and we’ve got to push hard — is these storm cellars and safe rooms,” Holland said. He said he would like to see community safe rooms built in every subdivision. “I think it would actually work,” he said. “You can always build back houses, … but the lives you can’t.”
Holland said progress is being made in Mayflower and will be aided by a $1.1 million Office of Economic Adjustment grant to fund construction of critical water and sewer infrastructure along Interstate Drive in Mayflower. Holland said the area that will benefit from this development is the same area that was affected by the Exxon oil spill and the April tornado.
Mann said statewide groups who helped rebuild homes in Mayflower are taking a break for the summer and will be back in the fall to do another round of five to 10 houses.
“We’re still needing funding for those,” she said. People may give to the Interfaith and Partners Alliance or the organization of their choice, she said. Donations to the alliance “can be available immediately for whatever needs we have,” Mann said.
Donations may be made to IFPA, P.O. Box 983, Mayflower, AR 72106.
“We’re just keeping on keeping on,” she said.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.