Senator Pryor defines FEMA funding in Arkansas

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor said late last week he is disappointed the House of Representatives failed to adequately fund FEMA’s disaster relief efforts in a short-term funding measure designed to keep the government running through mid-November. FEMA’s disaster programs are expected to run dry early next week following a year of unprecedented tornadoes, floods and hurricanes. Without this necessary funding, hundreds of thousands of Americans will continue to wait for emergency assistance, and disaster recovery projects in Arkansas and throughout the nation will remain idle.

“Families in Arkansas and all over the country are struggling to rebuild their lives in the wake of devastating floods, hurricanes and tornados. They need immediate help, not politics in Washington to get in the way,” Pryor said.

According to FEMA, its Disaster Relief Fund had just $175 million as of Friday morning and would go broke by early next week, likely on Tuesday. When the Disaster Relief Fund falls below the $800 million threshold, it operates on an immediate needs funding basis. As a result, FEMA has temporarily suspended approving new applications for aid and reconstruction for all past disasters. Currently, forty states and three territories have disaster recovery projects on hold as a result of the lack of funding. FEMA has halted 472 projects in Arkansas alone, including 85% for rebuilding roads. A county-by-county breakdown is below.

County / Project / Total
Baxter / Roads / $21,213
Benton / Roads / $60,711
Boone / Roads / $177,815
Calhoun / Roads / $17,583
Calhoun / Roads / $74,409
Clark / Public Utilities and Recreational / $120,618
Clarendon / Mitigation / $377,794
Clay / Roads and Public Utilities / $71,671
Cleburne / Roads / $653,518
Cleveland / Roads / $30,771
Conway / Roads and Public Utilities / $74,572
Crawford / Roads and Recreational / $159,424
Crittenden / Public Buildings / $36,131
Cross / Public Buildings / $7,215
Dallas / Roads and Public Utilities / $23,800
Faulkner / Roads / $20,969
Fulton / Roads / $89,068
Garland / Roads and Public Buildings / $65,113
Greene / Roads / $79,492
Hot Springs / Roads and Public Utilities / $23,389
Howard / Roads and Public Utilities / $26,873
Izard / Roads / $14,986
Jackson / Roads / $299,135
Lawrence / Public Utilities / $2,332
Lee / Roads / $293,678
Lincoln / Roads Public Buildings / $89,970
Lonoke / Roads / $72,385
Madison / Roads / $130,648
Marion / Roads / $39,654
Marion / Public Utilities / $1,472
Mississippi / Roads and Public Utilities / $75,371
Monroe / Roads / $44,870
Montgomery / Roads and Public Buildings / $73,855
Nevada / Public Utilities / $46,861
Newton / Roads / $428,138
Phillips / Roads / $6,705
Pike / Roads and Public Utilities / $151,399
Poinsett / Roads and Recreational / $3,895
Polk / Roads & Bridges / $3,019
Saint Francis / Roads and Public Utilities / $40,969
Saline / Roads / $68,437
Searcy / Roads and Public Utilities / $153,233
Sevier / Recreational or Other / $7,284
Sharp / Roads and Public Utilities / $720,825
Stone / Roads and Recreational / $121,417
Van Buren / Roads and Public Utilities / $107,206
Washington / Roads and Public Buildings / $46,248
White / Recreational / $4,583
Woodruff / Roads / $73,877
Yell / Roads / $108,609