A tornado with winds exceeding 150 miles per hour rarely leaves anything but a trail of destruction, and in the case of the tornado that touched down in Desha county last weekend, that’s exactly what happened.  By the grace of God, no one was killed in this violent storm.  In one instance, a commercial meat locker is all that protected several residents from the life-threatening dangers of this powerful storm. 

I had the opportunity to travel to Dumas with Governor Beebe to visit with the people who live there and see the destruction first-hand.  The destruction was widespread and the community’s resources were weakened significantly.  Yet amidst all of the destruction and damage, what was most impressive to me was the will of the people of Dumas who have pulled together to get through this tragedy.  I saw restaurants, banks and churches providing meals to clean up crews and countless residents helping their neighbors by offering shelter and any type of assistance they could.  Inspired by this spirit of unity, I have temporarily opened a district office in the Dumas City Hall to assist local officials and residents in their road to recovery.

I am now working at the federal level to make sure these families who have been affected have all they need to rebuild and put their lives back together again.  I have spoken with David Paulison, the Federal Administrator of FEMA, and written a letter along with Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor to President Bush requesting Federal disaster assistance for Dumas. Currently, FEMA is storing more than 8,000 brand new, fully furnished manufactured homes in Hope. I am currently fighting so that these manufactured homes can be made available to those Arkansans left homeless by this storm. Their close proximity to the disaster provides a perfect opportunity for FEMA to put them to good use.

In times of a natural disaster, it is imperative that we all join together to help those in need. The rebuilding of a community is never easy, but I am committed to do all that I can to assist the people of Dumas as they begin the process of rebuilding their community. Because of the spirit of the people of Dumas, I know Dumas will be back better and stronger than ever.

The text of the delegation’s letter to the President follows:

Dear Mr. President:

            We are writing to support Governor Mike Beebe’s request for a Presidential declaration of major disaster for Desha County in Arkansas. Currently, the State of Arkansas and local communities are beginning the process of recovering from the heavy rains, high winds, and tornadoes that touched down in Arkansas on Saturday, February 23rd. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 501(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, we ask that the State of Arkansas receive a federal disaster designation for the damage assessed in Desha County.    

            As you are probably aware, we represent a predominantly rural state where municipal governments are often ill-equipped to respond to disasters of this magnitude.  We have no doubt that all available resources at the state and local level are being used, but federal assistance will be needed to help the affected communities recover.      

            We would also like to specifically request that Desha County be approved for the FEMA Individuals & Households Program (IHP) to include Temporary Housing and assistance with Mobile Homes and Travel Trailers, Small Business Administration disaster loans, and Direct Federal Assistance.  The availability of rental property is restricted with the closest jurisdiction being approximately 45 miles.

            As you know, many of the manufactured homes and travel trailers purchased by FEMA for use in the Hurricane Katrina disaster are currently sitting unused in Hope, Arkansas.  It is our belief that these manufactured homes and travel trailers should be made available to those Arkansans left homeless by Saturday’s storms.  The inability of FEMA to find a permanent home for these manufactured homes and travel trailers in areas affected by Katrina has been a source of frustration for the Arkansas delegation and our constituents. However, their close proximity to the disaster in our state provides a perfect opportunity to put some of them to a good use.

            Mr. President, we respectfully request your swift consideration and approval of this request.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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