LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today requested a presidential Major Disaster Declaration in response to Arkansas’ June 25th storms. 

“The storms that hit Arkansas in late June caused severe damage across Central Arkansas and the Delta. As these communities continue to recover, my administration has determined that the disaster’s impact was widespread enough to qualify our state for a federal Major Disaster Declaration. The additional assistance this declaration would provide will prove critical to Arkansas’ rebuilding efforts,” said Governor Sanders.

The Governor is requesting Individual Assistance that includes the Individuals and Households Program and the Crisis Counseling Program, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Disaster Legal Services, and Small Business Administration Assistance in Arkansas, Faulkner, Lonoke, Mississippi, Poinsett, Pope, and Pulaski counties. The Governor also requested Public Assistance, Categories A-G, for Arkansas, Faulkner, Lonoke, Poinsett, and Pulaski counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.

In late June, severe storms and straight-line winds caused extensive damage to private property and public facilities in jurisdictions across Arkansas. A joint state and FEMA preliminary damage assessment began on July 24th, 2023, and determined that the storm caused enough damage for communities to qualify for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.