GARLAND CITY, Ark. — Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has asked the nation’s agriculture secretary to approve emergency loans for farmers in 37 flood-affected counties and hopes to soon seek a federal disaster declaration.
While touring flooded parts of southwestern Arkansas on Tuesday, Hutchinson said the state will conduct preliminary surveys of damage before it submits its request for the disaster declaration.
“I know there’s going to be some federal push for disaster relief for Texas and we just want to make sure our voice is heard in the midst of the claim for Texas disaster relief because we are really suffering in southwest Arkansas with the same circumstances, the same flood and really some very extensive damage,” Hutchinson told reporters in tiny Garland City.
Residents there were temporarily forced from their homes last week due to concerns over the safety of a levee along the Red River.
Heavy rains in Oklahoma and Texas in recent weeks helped push the Red River out of its banks, and storms over Arkansas have also contributed to the state’s woes.
Though the flooding has receded in some parts of the region, the water remains in other places.
Among the businesses that remain underwater is the West Shore Restaurant, located along the Red River.
Ralph West, who has owned the restaurant for 10 years, said he’s been unable to get inside to assess the damage.
“My income’s completely stopped. I’ve got 17 or 18 employees wondering what they’re going to do,” West said. “It’s having a pretty big impact on all of us.”
Hutchinson also said he believes there needs to be a closer look at the state’s levees and the boards governing them as a result of the flooding.
A joint legislative committee is expected to meet later this month to discuss the state’s levee system.
“We have some erosion of our levees and we need to increase our inspection of our levees, our non-flood time work on our levees,” Hutchinson said.
