Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State agencies and DOT outline emergency aid, road damage and insurance gaps after floods
Summary
Arkansas emergency management, National Guard and ARDOT presented damage estimates and assistance tallies; ADEM reported FEMA approvals and preliminary infrastructure estimates, the National Guard gave operational costs and ARDOT listed immediate highway closures and projected repair costs; insurance officials urged clearer consumer disclosure about flood coverage.
State and federal responders told a joint legislative committee the flood damaged roads, bridges and municipal infrastructure and that recovery will require layered funding from federal and state programs.
AJ Gary of the Division of Emergency Management gave the most detailed program numbers presented to the panel: 13 counties were designated for individual assistance (including Arkansas, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Logan, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell), and ADEM reported that $8,597,851 had been approved and dispersed in FEMA individual assistance to date. Gary also reported 4,424 NFIP claims with $18,683,969 paid (figures from ADEM's reporting on NFIP totals) and listed SBA home‑loan approvals and small business injury loans and totals for approved SBA loans.
Arkansas National Guard leaders said the Guard mobilized high‑water teams and rotor‑wing support, delivering sandbags, rescue and hay for livestock; the Guard recorded about $1,210,000 in initial response costs subject to FEMA reimbursement. DOT director Scott Bennett listed transportation impacts: 51 highway segments (86 miles) closed during the 28‑day event, large bridge‑approach washouts and localized projects requiring millions of dollars for reconstruction. Bennett estimated roughly $30,000,000 in state road repairs in coming months and explained that FHWA emergency relief is cost‑reimbursable and may take years to recover.
Insurance department officials told members that most flood coverage in Arkansas is through the National Flood Insurance Program and the private market is small; the department urged agents to better advise consumers that homeowners policies do not cover flood and supported a disclosure or declination form at point of sale so consumers are aware of coverage choices.
Lawmakers asked agencies to continue sharing updated counts, repair estimates and to coordinate on outreach for residents who lack internet access and may need help applying for FEMA or SBA assistance.
