Flood notebook

Portion of River Trail in Little Rock caves in

FILE — The Arkansas River flows in the background Saturday as its floodwaters cover sections of Little Rock’s Rebsamen Golf Course.
FILE — The Arkansas River flows in the background Saturday as its floodwaters cover sections of Little Rock’s Rebsamen Golf Course.

Part of the Arkansas River Trail west of the Jimerson Creek Bridge in Little Rock has caved in from the recent floodwaters and is blocked off, a spokesman for the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department said Wednesday.

The trail surface at that section is cracked and some of the base washed out from the high floodwaters from the Arkansas River, maintenance manager Jon Light said. The river waters have been receding since reaching a crest of 29.1 feet last week.

A public works crew will inspect that section of the trail this morning, Light said. A water truck also will be on the trail between Murray Park and the Big Dam Bridge to clean off debris. The public is asked to avoid those areas until they are cleaned, according to a departmental statement on social media.

"The trail out there hasn't been cleaned off, yet people still use it," Light said.

[RELATED: Town takes stock as Arkansas River recedes]

Floodwaters still cover parts of the River Trail on North Little Rock's side, North Little Rock Parks Department Director Terry Hartwick said Wednesday. Completely reopening the trail is "probably at least two weeks out," he said.

The championship side of the Burns Park Golf Course could reopen by Saturday and the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum on the downtown riverfront will open next Wednesday, Hartwick said. Water also remains on the Burns Park soccer fields, which likely won't open for another two weeks, he said.

FEMA inspectors, teams arriving soon

Housing inspectors and disaster survivor assistance teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will hit the streets soon in the eight Arkansas counties that have been approved for federal aid related to flooding along the Arkansas River.

The teams will be deployed to Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Perry, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell counties, where they will help connect disaster survivors with potential assistance.

Inspections will occur after people affected by flooding register with the agency. Homeowners and renters should make sure their contact information is up to date and have access to a telephone. They also will need to have a photo identification and proof of ownership or a lease.

Teams will go door to door in affected areas to answer questions about the types of help available, help people apply for state and federal assistance, update an applicant's contact information and assist with referrals to community partners.

FEMA workers will carry official, laminated photo identification. Officials said FEMA shirts, hats and jackets do not make them official.

When an agency inspector arrives at a damaged home, the inspector will require verification of identity but will already have the homeowners' registration number, so inspectors should not ask for it.

Neither FEMA nor Small Business Administration inspectors require banking information or payment in any form.

Faulkner County urges pet reclamations

Pet owners in Faulkner County are being urged to reclaim their pets that are being cared for at the emergency shelter.

The Arkansas Agriculture Department, Faulkner County Office of Emergency Management, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommend that owners pick up their pets by Tuesday.

Animals can be picked up at the shelter at 10 Lower Ridge Road every day between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Pet owners are asked to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at (800) 738-9437 to confirm when they can pick up their pets.

The organization has been on the ground in Faulkner County at the request of the Arkansas Agriculture Department to assist the Faulkner County emergency office and Faulkner County Animal Response Team with the sheltering of animals displaced by recent flooding along the Arkansas River.

More than 60 displaced pets remain at the shelter, officials said. Residents who are able to temporarily foster owned animals are asked to contact the ASPCA at (800) 738-9437.

Aid available for job losses tied to floods

Individuals who are unemployed as a direct result of the flooding that occurred along the Arkansas River may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance, according to Daryl Bassett, director of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

Individuals who have temporarily lost jobs because of the flooding and do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits -- such as self-employed individuals -- may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance, which provides unemployment benefits up to 28 weeks.

Eligibility is limited to workers in the eight counties that have been deemed federal disaster areas. Those areas are Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Jefferson, Perry, Pulaski, Sebastian and Yell.

Disaster unemployment assistance is currently available, and the last possible week of compensation is the week ending Dec. 7.

A Section on 06/13/2019

Upcoming Events