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Beebe declares three more counties disaster areas Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008 Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Beebe declared Franklin, Marion and Newton counties disaster areas Monday, bringing to 13 the number of Arkansas counties that have been declared disaster areas following deadly storms that ripped through the South on Feb. 5. Beebe previously made declarations for Baxter, Conway, Independence, Izard, Pope, Randolph, Sharp, Stone, Union and Van Buren counties. Also Monday, the state Department of Workforce Services announced that Arkansans who temporarily lost jobs in the aftermath of tornadoes in five counties may be eligible for unemployment assistance. Disaster unemployment assistance became available after President Bush declared Baxter, Pope, Sharp, Stone and Van Buren counties federal disaster areas on Feb. 8, three days after the storms cut a deadly swath through West-Central and northern Arkansas, killing 13 people. Individuals who have temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits may be eligible, the department said. To be eligible, workers must have worked or have been scheduled to work in the disaster area, but because of the tornadoes, they no longer have a job, a place to work in the area or could not get to their place of work because of disaster damage. The benefit also may be available to self-employed individuals who have lost all or part of their livelihood as a result of the disaster. Claims for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, which provides unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks, can be filed through March 12 at local Department of Workforce Services offices and other locations. The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration announced Monday that tax relief and extended filing deadlines will be available to victims in the 13 counties that Beebe has declared disaster areas. Affected residents who need to sign up for state assistance may still do so by calling the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management at 1-877-828-3362. Federal individual assistance is also available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the federally declared counties of Baxter, Pope, Sharp, Stone and Van Buren. For more information on federal assistance and the locations of FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, call 1-800-621-3362. The U.S. Small Business Administration is also offering low-interest loans for business owners looking to rebuild after the storms. SBA representatives can be contacted in person at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, by phone at 1-800-659-2955 or online. Arkansans wishing to donate to recovery efforts can find a central database of charitable and non-profit organizations on the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management's Web site. ------- On the Net: www.arkansas.gov/dfa www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance http://www.adem.arkansas.gov/ |
