LITTLE ROCK - Governor Mike Beebe has declared Fulton, Little River and Woodruff Counties state disaster areas due to heavy October rainfall and flooding. This brings the number of declared counties to 23. Last week, Beebe declared disasters in Ashley, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicot, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Lafayette, Lincoln, Lonoke, Madison, Miller, Nevada, Prairie and Union Counties.
Residents in Woodruff County may also be eligible for additional help under the State's Individual Assistance Program. The program is already active in Columbia, Lafayette and Nevada Counties, and Beebe has authorized $100,000 from the Governor's Disaster Fund to provide that assistance.

Governor Beebe also received word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week that officials there are working toward approval of Arkansas's latest request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation. Arkansas is asking for a Secretarial Declaration for Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Conway, Cross, Desha, Faulkner, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little River, Miller, Monroe, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Pope, Prairie, St. Francis, Union, White, Woodruff and Yell Counties. If the declaration is issued, it will also apply to all counties bordering on counties covered by the declaration and provide emergency low-interest loans for farmers.

A secretarial declaration would be the second of the year in Arkansas related to flooding. A similar declaration provided loan opportunities beginning in June for farmers in 54 Arkansas counties.

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