Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently requested a major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden to support ongoing recovery efforts in counties impacted by severe winter weather that occurred from January 30 through February 2.
Drew County was included as one of 13 counties in the Natural State that was affected by the severe winter weather.
“According to Caleb Bryant at the Drew County Office of Emergency Management, clean up efforts are ongoing at this time,” Drew County Judge Jessie Griffin stated. “We are tracking our man hours and equipment used and will be ready to turn in any needed paperwork.”
Sleet and freezing rain during that time caused about 80,000 power outages and two deaths in Arkansas, according to her letter.
“The sheer magnitude of this event created disastrous amounts of debris, caused extensive power outages, and resulted in the death of two Arkansans and the injury of many others,” a news release quoted the governor as saying. “We have determined that these storms were of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary. Thirteen hard-hit Arkansas counties have sustained significant damage to infrastructure, businesses, agriculture, and property, and we must provide these Arkansans with the assistance they need to fully recover.”
Sanders requested assistance for those 13 counties, all but two of which are in south and southeast Arkansas. The 13 counties are Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lincoln, Nevada, Ouachita, Searcy and Stone.
“This has been a constant clean up since the storm,” Griffin added. “We are taking debris to the landfill and we have a burn site at the fairgrounds.”
According to Sanders’ letter, Arkansas sustained an estimated $8.9 million in damages in Categories A, B and F, which includes debris removal, emergency protective measures and utilities. Most of that damage was to utilities, according to the letter.
Preliminary damage estimates show a huge impact to local jurisdictions, with damages as high as $199.71 per resident in Cleveland County, wrote Sanders.
“Because several of the hardest hit areas also experienced major damage to infrastructure, industry, trade and local businesses, as well as agricultural enterprises, it is expected that applications for disaster related unemployment will be high,” Sanders wrote in the letter to Biden.
“While infrastructure is crucial to economic growth, citizens also play a vital role in the need for recovery efforts,” Sanders added.
The percentage of people living below the poverty level in the 13 affected counties is 21.1 percent, with Nevada County representing the largest percentage of 27.7 percent, according to Sanders’ letter.
Statewide, 17.6 percent of Arkansans are below the poverty level, and the state ranks as the seventh most impoverished, Sanders wrote.
Arkansas has had several rounds of severe weather since the beginning of the year, according to the governor’s letter.
U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman, wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to support Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ request for a major disaster declaration for the 13 Arkansas counties.
“Arkansans have demonstrated resourcefulness and resilience during this challenging time. But as it stands, we believe the magnitude of this weather event warrants supplemental federal assistance. The above-mentioned counties have seen homes, businesses, and important infrastructure severely damaged, and federal government resources will be critical in our restoration efforts,” members wrote in the letter.
Besides aid for the 13 counties, Sanders also requested statewide hazard mitigation assistance.
Her letter to President Biden was sent through George A. Robinson of Denton, Texas, regional administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 6.
