941 in 26 counties apply to get FEMA money to begin repairs
Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $ 1. 6 million in grants to date to help residents repair storm-battered homes in Arkansas even as floodwaters continue to rise in some communities along the lower White River, an agency spokesman said Tuesday.
As of late Monday, 941 applicants in 26 counties had registered with FEMA to seek assistance in paying to fix up homes damaged by flooding or tornadoes since March 18.
FEMA has approved grants for 282 out of 457 applicants reviewed by Monday at an average of $ 5, 673 per home, spokesman Dan Martinez said.
“For people to qualify for disaster assistance, we need to hear from them,” Martinez said. “Our grants are not to get their homes to pre-disaster condition, but it is to offer assistance to help them get there.”
The grant approvals come after heavy rains soaked the state in March and April, causing widespread flooding along the Arkansas, White and Mississippi rivers. Tornadoes also struck the state April 3 and April 10.
In Saline County, 157 residents had applied for the individual assistance as of Monday night — more than in any other county. County Judge Lanny Fite said he expects many more residents to apply in the coming days.
Martinez said Tuesday that teams had completed preliminary flood-damage assessments across the state, although additional requests for teams to survey damage are likely. Cyclical rainfall patterns have caused floodwaters that previously receded to return, and the lower White River is predicted to crest higher again in some counties in the next few days.
Counties can also receive federal assistance for the cost of infrastructure repairs if they have losses of at least $ 3. 11 per resident. For example, a county with 10, 000 residents would have to have at least $ 31, 100 in damage to qualify for the FEMA funding.
Also Tuesday, Gov. Mike Beebe’s office announced that Miller County was added to the list of state disaster areas, bringing the total to 59 counties since March 19.
Residents along the lower White River braced for additional flooding, while floodwaters in northern Arkansas and along some parts of the Arkansas River began to recede.
In Prairie County, residents sandbagged and raised homes around Spring Lake, County Judge Mike Skarda said.
“Friday, Saturday and Sunday there were some house-trailer manufacturers who came in, and a lot of people raised their houses and their mobile homes on the lakes about 12 to 14 inches straight up,” he said. “Some of the houses will flood again, but some that were raised may not.”
Skarda said the same homes that flooded in March — including about 80 houses, cabins and trailers — will likely flood again when the White River at Des Arc crests today at 34 feet. The predicted crest is 10 feet above flood stage and about 3 inches higher than the river level in March.
“It could have been much, much worse,” Skarda said.
Meantime, the Cleburne County sheriff’s office’s Web site announced good news Tuesday for residents near Greers Ferry Lake.
“Prayers have been answered,” the Web site said in blue letters, “the lake level is on it’s way down !”
The lake is one of six monitored by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers along the White River that was full or nearly full Friday, leading to water releases that added to flooding downstream.
Jan Jones, head of the water-management group for the Corps of Engineers’ Little Rock District, said last week that the water being released from the dams was the most ever released at one time.
To get the word out about assistance available for flood victims, FEMA and state officials have visited 554 homes, 379 businesses, 43 apartments, 66 churches and eight schools, Martinez said.
FEMA is also meeting with county and city officials across the state to show them how to process applications for FEMA reimbursements, said Phil Brown, a deputy public assistance officer for the agency.
During the meetings, FEMA officials notify local officials what type of documentation is necessary to apply for the grants. After the meetings, local officials and those with FEMA and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management inspect losses to infrastructure and then write up grant applications, Brown said.
Residents in counties declared disaster areas can register for individual assistance online at www. fema. gov, in person at a disaster recovery center or by calling (800 ) 621-3362.
Even if residents aren’t approved for grant money, they may be eligible for low-interest loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration, said Roger Busch, a spokesman for the agency.
Busch said homeowners can apply for 2. 75 percent fixed-interest-rate loans to rebuild, and businesses can apply for loans with 4 percent interest rates.
Other governmental agencies are offering other types of assistance, as well.
On Tuesday, the Internal Revenue Service added 12 counties to a list of Arkansas counties approved for disaster tax relief.
Residents in Boone, Carroll, Clay, Craighead, Cross, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Izard, Lonoke, Pulaski and Saline counties are now part of 28 in the state eligible for filing extensions and other assistance, an IRS news release said.
The assistance includes an extension until May 27 for individuals to file their federal income tax returns and pay if money is due. Returns were due Tuesday for everyone else.
Residents in eligible counties can opt to claim unreimbursed, disaster-related losses on their 2007 federal income tax returns rather than waiting until next year. Business owners in those counties can also get an extension from the IRS on depositing employment and excise taxes.
Also, residents in 28 counties are eligible to apply for disaster unemployment assistance.
Individuals eligible for the assistance include those who have temporarily lost jobs because of disasters and do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits, according to a news release from the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.
The compensation period runs from March 29 to Sept. 27.
Individual claims for assistance can be filed at Workforce Services Department offices in the following counties: Boone, Carroll, Clay, Craighead, Cross, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Izard, Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline, Monroe, Pope, Prairie, Scott, Sharp, Baxter, Benton, Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Randolph, Stone and Woodruff. Information for this article was contributed by Ginny LaRoe and Debra Hale-Shelton of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
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