American Red Cross officials worked Friday from Pine Bluff to Stuttgart in their effort to assess flood damage in southeast Arkansas caused by multiple days of heavy rain.
Missouri/Arkansas region team lead Hansen Doolittle sent out four teams to do assessments on buildings and homes in towns along U.S. 79.
"We started with Dumas and Gould,and then turned our attention to Stuttgart and surrounding areas," Doolittle said. "We did stop in Humphrey, Wabbaseka and Altheimer."
Doolittle said the two-person teams were able to cover each town, noting that the flooding they found in most of those areas wasn't nearly as bad as they were expecting. With more area in Stuttgart to cover, he sent the teams out to every corner of the town as hot spots were marked all over his map.
"There are a lot more folks here," said Doolittle as he stood in the parking lot of Stuttgart Apartments, where dozens of tenants experienced flooding inside of their residences. "We want to get as much covered as possible to flag it for the higher-ups for coverage in this area."
American Red Cross provides several resources, including a safe, dry shelter until families can return home, as well as water and hot meals for them. To ensure that people with disabilities get the help they need, the agency distributes cleanup supplies like mops, gloves and tarps, and can meet with families to prepare recovery plans.
"Right now, we are in the initial stage, just getting the external damage and snapshots of the damage that we can identify," said Doolittle, as he assessed a home that had a noticeable waterline marking the height of the floodwater at the entrance. "My job is to try to get an idea how much we got here and you never know until you get eyes on it. I get to be the eyes."
Street by street, the teams gathered information and pinned their maps with affected addresses. As they made visual assessments, almost every location they traveled was marked for damage in the Stuttgart area.
Marblene Carroll, a homeowner in Stuttgart, had nearly 18 inches of water in her home. What was even more frightening to her is that her mother, who lives next door, was asleep when water came rushing inside her bedroom.
"I woke up in the middle of the night and fell in the water not knowing my home was flooded," said Josephine Richardson, Carroll's mother. "The water was up over my feet. I didn't know water had come in my house."
For those who had water inside their homes, Doolittle said it has to reach 18 inches or higher, where most electrical outlets are placed, to trigger additional assistance from the Red Cross. The height is a FEMA standard, officials have said.
The information collected will be shared internally and also will be accessible to the local Emergency Management Office if needed. Officials will do their own assessments on Monday in Stuttgart.
County Judge Thomas Best declared an emergency Wednesday for Arkansas County, stating Stuttgart was hit the hardest.
Shortly after, Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency in response to the southeast Arkansas flooding, noting it was clear that assistance was needed. As part of his declaration, he directed that $100,000 from the Emergency Response Fund to be used at the discretion of the director of the Division of Management for aid assistance.
Until those funds are distributed, American Red Cross will be available to assist with immediate needs.
"We are usually the first one in because we want to make sure everyone has shelter," Doolittle said. "We are here early on to help with sheltering and if it's needed, help folks find other resources."
Resources vary anywhere from sheltering to financial aid. The American Red Cross of Arkansas has established a Flooding Assistance Line that is available for families and individuals whose primary address, owned or rented, was either destroyed or received major damage from this week's flooding.
For flooding assistance, those affected can call (417) 447-7180 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until June 17.
"What comes next as folks start reaching out to the recovery number is we have really great volunteers who will be able to start guiding them towards resources and providing some services for those who qualify and start the recovery process," he said.
Callers will be asked to provide a form of identification and proof of address.
