Arkansans meet a FEMA deadline three months after a catastrophic disaster

Little Rock, Arkansas – Time is running out for storm survivors who still need to qualify for FEMA help, and the sounds of reconstruction are mixed with the sounds of frustration.

Monday is the last day to submit an online or phone application if you were harmed by the tornado outbreak on March 31 in Pulaski, Lonoke, or Cross Counties.

nearly 3,500 applicants in Arkansas have received nearly $8.6M in individual or family aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency as of this writing. One of them is not Brian Roper.

“You don’t give a date. You say we’re going to do it until it’s done,” Roper stated.

Roper, who resides in Little Rock, claimed he didn’t get any assistance from FEMA. He added that he had put off finishing the procedure.

“I didn’t have time for them. I had no time. I had too many people here. I had too many things happening in my backyard, my side yard, my front yard, my roof,” Roper admitted.

“They need to extend it and come to us and walk us through the process, which is an incredibly confusing process,” Roper added.

One of Roper’s trees still has sheet metal, and there are other stumps in his yard. While Roper’s homeowner’s insurance will assist in rebuilding the structure of his home, he is forced to spend thousands of dollars on his yard.

“They wanted $700 to remove each root ball. I had 12, and I have to pay that out of pocket, ridiculous,” Roper said.

Matthew Kamphuis’ home is virtually back to where it started three months ago, despite the fact that his repairs still need to be made. A tree falling on his property caused $50,000 in damage, so he can’t say the same about his pocketbook.

Kamphuis claimed that he “as soon as possible” applied for FEMA and home insurance assistance. He claims that FEMA granted him $10,000 to begin his renovations, despite the fact that insurance has been battling him for every dime.

“Of course not as much as I would have liked, but I guess any help is better than none,” Kamphuis said.

He acknowledged that the application procedure was difficult and took some time—in his case, both online and on the phone—but he’s glad he gathered the necessary paperwork and completed it.

“If you haven’t, I would definitely recommend doing that,” Kamphuis said.

However, not everyone will heed the advise. Roper claimed that he would not be motivated to apply for FEMA.

“There’s not enough time. It’s a waste of my time,” Roper said.

According to FEMA, applying online at www.disasterassistance.gov is the quickest and simplest option. Call 800-621-3362 if you are unable to apply online.

Little Rock’s disaster recovery activities are also coming to an end.

According to Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s office spokesperson Aaron Sadler, the hired debris collection business is finishing up a last sweep of the affected regions next week.

According to Sadler, the property owner will need to make plans with a private carrier to dispose of any more materials that were not deposited curbside by the deadline of June 25.