DISASTERSUncertainty About Federal Disaster Aid Looms as Storms Roll In
Multiple states bordering the Mississippi River are still waiting for federal disaster aid decisions.
This story first appeared on the Tennessee Lookout.
When a severe tornado tore through Cave City, Arkansas, in March, retiree Debra Lindsey was in her trailer home with her husband.
“I didn’t even know there was a tornado on the ground until the sirens went off, and then in 45 seconds it was here,” Lindsey said. “It was very scary. If it would’ve been 100 to 150 feet closer to here, it would’ve taken the front of our trailer off.”
Even without a direct hit, she estimated that the damage to their home and property was between $30,000 and $40,000. Their storage buildings were destroyed, along with their two vehicles. And the insurance company won’t cover everything.
Across the street, Robert and Kymberlie Watson rode out the tornadoes with their seven children in the nearest storm shelter. When they returned, they found roughly $60,000 worth of damage to their property.
About one month after the tornadoes, the Trump administration denied Arkansas’ request for a major disaster declaration. The declaration would have brought federal funds into the state to help with recovery. Both families thought they’d have to pay out-of-pocket for repairs.
The power to grant a disaster declaration and access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance programs lies solely in the hands of the president, and President Donald Trump’s administration is looking to significantly scale back FEMA and pass disaster recovery costs onto states.
Lindsey, a disabled retired nurse, feared that the lack of federal assistance for their home repairs would force her back into the workforce.
Another round of severe weather walloped the Lower Mississippi River Basin in early April, causing extensive flooding and more tornado damage in parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi.
Then, some good news: The Trump administration reversed course on May 13 after an appeal and a personal plea from Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The president granted a major disaster declaration, allowing individuals like Lindsey and the Watsons to apply for aid.
“If we get some help out of it, that’s absolutely amazing. We could really use it,” Kymberlie Watson said. “We’re surprised, a little bit … because the government actually stepped up and helped its citizens.”
