The victims of the tornados in Arkansas are not alone; they have the prayers and support of my administration, as well as people from across our great state.
Please visit this page often as we gather disaster assistance resources.
Some files below are in Adobe PDF Format. Please download the free reader to view or print.
FEMA Resources
For information on registering for disaster assistance with FEMA, visit the website or call:
Website: http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm
Telephone: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
TTY: 1-800-462-7585
Disaster Assistance
Federal Disaster Loans for Homeowners, Renters and Businesses of All Sizes
Getting Disaster Help From SBA - PDF
Donations
http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/fema/states.aspx?ST=Arkansas.
Aidmatrix is designed to make it as easy as possible to donate financial support, product donations or to volunteer your skills and time to the nonprofit organizations that most need it.
Red Cross Resources
Website: Safe and Well List
Telephone: 501-748-1000
There are three ways you may send a contribution to the Red Cross:
By Mail:
Neighbor in Need Fund
American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas
P.O. Box 191051
Little Rock, AR 72219
By Phone:
Locally: 501-748-1004
English Toll Free: 1-800-435-7669
Spanish Toll Free: 1-800-257-7575
TDD: 1-800-220-4095
By Internet: Pay with Credit Card Online
Food and Water Safety
The following guidelines to insure food and water safety:
Throw away food that may have come in contact with flood or storm water.
Throw away food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture.
Throw away perishable foods (including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and
leftovers) that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for 2 hours or more.
Thawed food that contains ice crystals or is 40 degree F or below can
be refrozen or cooked.
Throw away canned foods that are bulging, opened, or damaged.
Food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps (soda pop
bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap-open, and home canned foods should
be discarded if they have come into contact with floodwater because they
cannot be disinfected.
If cans have come in contact with floodwater or storm water, remove
the labels, wash the cans, and dip them in a solution of 1 cup of bleach
in 5 gallons of water. Re-label the cans with a marker.
Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash
and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula.
Store Food Safely:
While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed
as much as possible.
Add block ice or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is
expected to be off longer than 4 hours. Wear heavy gloves when handling
ice.
Feeding Infants and Young Children:
Breastfed infants should continue breastfeeding. For formula-fed
infants, use ready-to-feed formula if possible. If using ready-to-feed
formula is not possible, it is best to use bottled water to prepare
powdered or concentrated formula. If bottled water is not available, use
boiled water. Use treated water to prepare formula only if you do not
have bottled or boiled water.
If you prepare formula with boiled water, let the formula cool
sufficiently before giving it to an infant.
Clean feeding bottles and nipples with bottled, boiled, or treated
water before each use.
Wash your hands before preparing formula and before feeding an infant.
You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer for washing your hands if the
water supply is limited.
Water
Water may not be safe to drink, clean with, or bathe in after an
emergency like a tornado. During and after a disaster, water can become
contaminated with microorganisms, such as bacteria, sewage, agricultural
or industrial waste, chemicals, and other substances that can cause
illness or death. This fact sheet offers the following guidance to help
you make sure water is safe to use:
Listen to and follow public announcements. Local authorities will tell
you if tap water is safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing. If
the water is not safe to use, follow local instructions to use bottled
water or to boil or disinfect water for cooking, cleaning, or bathing.
Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking (however, see
guidance in the Food section for infants), cooking or preparing food,
washing dishes, cleaning, brushing your teeth, washing your hands,
making ice, and bathing until your water supply is tested and found
safe. If your water supply is limited, you can use alcohol-based hand
sanitizer for washing your hands.
If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you
do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or
treat it before you use it.
Related Resources:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-888-MPHotline
Available for consumers questions and concerns about food safety.