Fulton and Searcy counties are now eligible to apply for public assistance to help cities and counties repair roads, bridges and culverts and clean up debris left by storms, tornadoes and flooding in April and May, Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Robert Howard said Thursday in a news release.
The two counties were added to the disaster declaration issued June 15 by President Donald Trump that provides federal funding for governmental entities and residents to cover repairs and cleanup, Howard said.
Twenty-eight Arkansas counties were already designated for public assistance under the declaration.
The other counties eligible for public assistance funds are Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Cross, Faulkner, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Montgomery, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Poinsett, Prairie, Randolph, Saline, Washington, White and Woodruff.
Counties receiving individual assistance, which provides funding for residents to repair homes and cover relocation costs and other expenses, are Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Faulkner, Fulton, Jackson, Lawrence, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Washington and Yell.
The declaration covers a three-week period of inclement weather in the state that began when an EF1 tornado touched down in Carroll County on April 26 and ended when floodwaters on the White River receded May 19.
Nine people died in weather-related accidents during the period.
Heavy rains also caused flash flooding in Northwest Arkansas on April 26 and power was knocked out to more than 11,000 Entergy of Arkansas customers. On April 29, 6 to 8 inches of rain soaked the upper White River basin in north-central Arkansas.
More than 10 inches of rain fell into the Current River, causing record-high marks on the river in Van Buren, Mo., and Doniphan, Mo. The surge of water flowed south and poured into the Black River in Randolph County.
Pocahontas saw the highest level recorded on the Black River on May 2 when the flooding caused nine sections of levee protecting the eastern part of the city to break. More than 100 homes were flooded and water rushed south, covering U.S. 67 with 4 to 8 feet of water.
The water eventually flowed back into the Black River south of Clover Bend and continued south where the river emptied into the White River near Jacksonport, causing flooding from Newport to Des Arc and DeValls Bluff.
The federal declaration is the ninth Arkansas has received since 2013.
State Desk on 07/21/2017