The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended disaster assistance to residents in three additional Arkansas counties that were hit by storms and flooding between April 26 and May 19, officials announced Thursday.
Prairie, White and Woodruff counties are now eligible for financial help under the agency's Individuals and Households Program.
President Donald Trump designated 31 Arkansas counties as disaster areas June 15, which allows residents to apply for federal assistance for home repairs, relocation costs and other personal expenses. It also provides public assistance for governmental entities to repair roads, bridges, culverts and buildings, and for cleaning up debris left by storms and flooding.
Tornadoes, winds, heavy rains and flooding hit the state over a three-week period that began with an EF1 tornado in Carroll County on April 26. Heavy rains followed, causing the Black and White rivers to reach record or near-record levels.
Nine people died in weather-related accidents during that period.
The three counties were added to the assistance program after a review of damage assessments conducted by the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, said Robert Howard, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Residents can apply for grants for rental assistance or temporary housing, home repairs, and medical and funeral expenses. They also can apply for low-interest Small Business Association loans, Howard said.
People can apply for assistance by calling the agency at (800) 621-3362 or online at DisasterAssistance. gov.
An agency-contracted housing inspector can contact applicants in Prairie, White and Woodruff counties to schedule an appointment to visit the home, depending on the type of storm-related damage, Howard said.
The agency also announced that state disaster recovery centers will open today at the McGee Center in Conway and at the Fayetteville Executive Airport terminal building. The centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 1-5 p.m. on Sundays.
The centers will be closed Tuesday in observance of Independence Day.
NW News on 06/30/2017