Release Date: March 26, 2008
Release Number: R6-08-058
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- On March 25, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and county and local officials will begin a review of damage resulting from the flooding that began on March 18. These Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) are the first step in the request for a presidential declaration.
Individual Assistance PDAs will begin in the counties of Baxter, Benton, Carroll, Logan, Madison, Marion and Stone. Individual Assistance provides help to homeowners and renters. Public Assistance PDAs will begin in Baxter, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Izard, Howard, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Marion, Newton, Polk, Pope, Searcy, Scott, Van Buren and Yell. Public Assistance provides reimbursements to eligible local and state government agencies, as well as some private non-profit organizations, for the cost of disaster-related debris removal, emergency protective measures and the repair or replacement of community infrastructure.
During the assessment, the team will collect estimates of the expenses and damages such as the following:
The governor's office reviews the results of the PDAs. If the information gathered during the assessment phase certifies that flood damage is beyond state and local recovery capabilities, the finding is then used by Governor Mike Bebee to support a request for a presidential declaration.
The request for a presidential declaration is then submitted in writing by the governor to the president through FEMA's regional office. In this request, the governor certifies that the combined local, county and state resources are insufficient to address the emergency situation and that the situation is beyond the state's recovery capabilities.
The request is reviewed at FEMA's regional and national level. A number of factors are considered:
After the review of the governor's request by the regional and national offices of FEMA, an analysis of the situation and a recommended course of action is provided to the president.
FEMA coordinates the Federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, and mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from, all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terrorism.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 26-Mar-2008 12:57:45