tornado

Barbara Williams points out the damage to her home and said glass from the window behind her somehow missed her when the tornado struck on Friday, March 31, 2023. She was pulling belongings from her home on Cobble Hill Road Monday afternoon, April 3. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Food benefits available to some Arkansans affected by tornadoes

BY: - April 24, 2023

Tornado-affected residents of Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski counties may be eligible for help obtaining food under the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), state and federal officials announced Monday. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said approximately 1,600 households that may not normally be eligible under regular Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules may qualify for […]

A rainbow arcs over tornado damage along Shackleford Road in west Little Rock Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

USDA approves waivers for Arkansas SNAP recipients affected by tornadoes

BY: - April 11, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved two waivers for Arkansas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients affected by tornadoes that killed five people on March 31.  The first waiver gives SNAP recipients in Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski counties until May 1 to report their loss of food purchased with SNAP benefits. This waives the […]

Clothes in a now-exposed closet hang inside what is left of a wrecked Walnut Valley home. A tornado plowed through west Little Rock Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate 04/03/2023)

Arkansas governor requests additional assistance for tornado cleanup

BY: - April 4, 2023

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday asked the federal government to cover 100% of cleanup costs incurred during the first month of tornado recovery efforts in Arkansas.  Federal aid now covers 75% of costs, but additional funding is required to help Arkansans in need, Sanders said in a statement. “I’ve been across our state since […]

A small American flag flutters in front of a home on Shackleford Road Monday afternoon, April 3, 2023. A tornado plowed through west Little Rock Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Sanders orders paid leave for state employees, extends tax deadline for Arkansans affected by tornadoes

BY: - April 3, 2023

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced plans to sign two executive orders Monday to assist tornado victims.  One will provide paid leave for affected state employees while the second will extend the state income tax filing deadline to July 31 for those directly affected by Friday’s storms. “As many places as we can find to […]

Cousins Mya Lugo, left, and Khloe Lugo, both 8, stand with some of their belongings on Shackleford Road in west Little Rock Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023. Their home was damaged by the tornadoes that tore across the city. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Three Arkansas counties hit by tornadoes declared major disaster zones

BY: - April 2, 2023

President Joe Biden on Sunday declared a major disaster exists in Arkansas because of Friday’s tornadoes that struck Pulaski, Lonoke and Cross counties. The declaration makes federal funding available to individuals, businesses and government agencies for recovery and disaster mitigation. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who requested the declaration on Saturday, expressed appreciation in a statement […]

Residents of the Walnut Valley neighborhood walk along Shackleford Road in west Little Rock Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023, after a tornado plowed through the area, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Tornadoes kill at least 5 in Arkansas, damage hundreds of homes and businesses

BY: and - March 31, 2023

At least five people died in tornadoes in Arkansas on Friday, but officials reported no fatalities in Little Rock as of Saturday afternoon. The first death was reported in the city of North Little Rock in a tornado that struck a little after 2 p.m.; four were killed in Wynne, about 105 miles northeast of […]