Arkansas will receive $8.7 million in emergency relief funds to pay for repairs to roads and bridges on federal lands that were damaged by heavy rains and flooding.
Of the total, about $6 million will go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the rest will go to the U.S. Forest Service.
The emergency relief funds were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration.
A total of $705.7 million in emergency relief funds will help 34 states, as well as American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, repair roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods and other unexpected events, according to a news release.
The program reimburses states, territories and federal land management agencies for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations, according to the release.
Laurie Driver, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers, said the Little Rock District will receive $3.3 million of the $6 million for repairs to parks, roads, parking lots and boat docks on Beaver Lake and Norfork Lake that were damaged by flooding in 2017.
Driver said the district will be reimbursed for debris removal that has already taken place. The rest of the money will be used for the repairs. Driver said she didn't know when that work would begin or be completed.
The other $2.7 million for Corps of Engineers work in Arkansas is probably going to the Vicksburg, Miss., District, which oversees Ouachita, DeGray and Greeson lakes in south Arkansas, Driver said.
A spokesman for the Corps' Vicksburg District didn't return a telephone message left Wednesday.
Tracy Farley, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said she was trying to gather information Wednesday but she didn't call back before deadline.
More than a fifth of the total amount announced Tuesday -- about $153 million -- will be used to pay to repair damage caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, according to the release.
Puerto Rico will receive the most -- $138.4 million. All of that is for hurricane damage except for $300,000, which is for tidal wave damage.
Among the states, California will receive the most -- $100.7 million for storm, fire and flood damage.
Hawaii will receive $81.4 million, which includes $61.9 million for flooding and landslides in April, and $8.3 million for damage caused by the May eruption of the Kilauea volcano.
"The department is pleased to reimburse states and territories that have made critical repairs to their transportation infrastructure following natural disasters such as wildfires, storms and floods," U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said.
"These funds will help keep our country's roads and bridges safe and well-maintained in the aftermath of the hurricanes and other severe storms seen in recent years," said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Brandye L. Hendrickson.
State Desk on 02/07/2019