The youth baseball fields will reopen next Monday, April 24, as crews still work elsewhere in the state’s largest, and among the country’s biggest, municipal parks.
“The fields will be accessible by entering Joe K. Poch Drive only and will exit the same way,” city spokesman Shara Booth Brazear said in an email.
The rest of the park – Funland Drive, softball fields, the tennis center, soccer fields, high school baseball fields and a section of the Arkansas River Trail – will remain closed.
“Even though the process is long and the work is hard, we are North Little Rock Strong,” said North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick.
Resources to assist recovery
It’s easy to be confused by all the disaster resources available as you recover from the severe storms and tornadoes that occurred March 31, but here is a breakdown of agencies, programs, phone numbers and website links that may assist you with your recovery that was provied by FEMA..
Insurance: If you have insurance, contact your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance provider to file a claim. If you have not filed a claim with your insurance company or provided a copy of your insurance settlement approval or denial to FEMA, you will likely receive a notification that there is "no decision." This means FEMA may need additional information from you to continue processing your application.
FEMA Assistance
FEMA disaster assistance may be available for survivors who live in one of the three designated counties for Individual Assistance, Cross, Lonoke, and Pulaski.
Assistance may help pay uninsured or underinsured losses such as home repair for disaster-related damage, rental assistance, reimbursement for lodging expenses for individuals whose home was inaccessible or unhabitable during the disaster, medical expenses incurred from this disaster or other disaster-related needs.
Individuals and households who have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling by the recent tornadoes on March 31 in Arkansas may be eligible for a special FEMA financial assistance program, Critical Needs Assistance (CNA).
Lifesaving and life-sustaining items are covered by the CNA program. This includes, but is not limited to, water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items, and fuel for transportation.
To apply for FEMA assistance, add information or check the status of your application, visit disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362. I
Arkansas Recovery Website
On April 3, Arkansas launched helparkansas.com, a one-stop website for tornado recovery resources.
This website includes information on federal, state, local, and charitable resources for tornado victims, as well as volunteer and charity opportunities for Arkansans seeking to help.
USDA
The USDA Rural Development announced in early April that Home Repair Grant Limits have increased in response to the March 31 severe storms and tornadoes.
Funding is available through USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loan and Grant program that helps income-eligible homeowners in rural communities make Grant limits have been increased from $10,000 to $40,675 in the FEMA-designated counties (Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski) for residents that are eligible to apply for financial and direct services.
For information on how to apply for the Home Repair Program, visit the Arkansas Rural Development website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ar or call the Arkansas Rural Development Disaster Hotline at 501-301-3211, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Increased grant limits are available until Sept. 28.
IRS
Arkansas storm survivors now have until July 31, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski counties qualify for tax relief.
For more information visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-arkansas-storm-victims-qualify-for-tax-relief-april-18-deadline-other-dates-extended-to-july-31.
HUD
HUD is implementing federal disaster relief for the state of Arkansas to assist state and local recovery efforts for areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes.
Effective immediately, HUD is:
Providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. There is also a 90-day extension granted automatically for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President’s disaster declaration date.
Homeowners affected by the disaster should contact their mortgage or loan servicer immediately for assistance. Conventional mortgage holders may also be eligible for additional relief through their mortgage holder.
Call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320 for additional information. To learn more about disaster relief options for FHA homeowners visit the FHA Disaster Relief site.
Economic Recovery
Small Business Administration: Applicants (businesses, most private non-profits, homeowners and renters) for low-interest disaster loan may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Agricultural Producers: For loans and grants please contact Farm Services Agency to recover from losses, visit https://www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool#step-1.
Additional resources
The cleanup process in the aftermath of the March 31 severe storms continues across the state. Many people are displaced from their homes and it’s possible pets and livestock are displaced as well.
The state departments of Health and Agriculture are stepping in to help. If you have displaced, injured or missing pets or livestock due to the March 31 severe weather outbreak, please call 501-332-2000.
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Picking up the pieces in North Little Rock
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Amboy will never be the same.
The North Little Rock neighborhood was the hardest residential area in the city when the EF3 tornado hit on March 31.
The tornado leveled homes, businesses and cut a path of destruction through nearby Burns Park that will take months to clean up.
But not all hope was lost.
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The youth baseball fields will reopen next Monday, April 24, as crews still work elsewhere in the state’s largest, and among the country’s biggest, municipal parks.
“The fields will be accessible by entering Joe K. Poch Drive only and will exit the same way,” city spokesman Shara Booth Brazear said in an email.
The rest of the park – Funland Drive, softball fields, the tennis center, soccer fields, high school baseball fields and a section of the Arkansas River Trail – will remain closed.
“Even though the process is long and the work is hard, we are North Little Rock Strong,” said North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick.
Resources to assist recovery
It’s easy to be confused by all the disaster resources available as you recover from the severe storms and tornadoes that occurred March 31, but here is a breakdown of agencies, programs, phone numbers and website links that may assist you with your recovery that was provied by FEMA..
Insurance: If you have insurance, contact your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance provider to file a claim. If you have not filed a claim with your insurance company or provided a copy of your insurance settlement approval or denial to FEMA, you will likely receive a notification that there is "no decision." This means FEMA may need additional information from you to continue processing your application.
FEMA Assistance
FEMA disaster assistance may be available for survivors who live in one of the three designated counties for Individual Assistance, Cross, Lonoke, and Pulaski.
Assistance may help pay uninsured or underinsured losses such as home repair for disaster-related damage, rental assistance, reimbursement for lodging expenses for individuals whose home was inaccessible or unhabitable during the disaster, medical expenses incurred from this disaster or other disaster-related needs.
Individuals and households who have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling by the recent tornadoes on March 31 in Arkansas may be eligible for a special FEMA financial assistance program, Critical Needs Assistance (CNA).
Lifesaving and life-sustaining items are covered by the CNA program. This includes, but is not limited to, water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items, and fuel for transportation.
To apply for FEMA assistance, add information or check the status of your application, visit disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362. I
Arkansas Recovery Website
On April 3, Arkansas launched helparkansas.com, a one-stop website for tornado recovery resources.
This website includes information on federal, state, local, and charitable resources for tornado victims, as well as volunteer and charity opportunities for Arkansans seeking to help.
USDA
The USDA Rural Development announced in early April that Home Repair Grant Limits have increased in response to the March 31 severe storms and tornadoes.
Funding is available through USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Home Repair Loan and Grant program that helps income-eligible homeowners in rural communities make Grant limits have been increased from $10,000 to $40,675 in the FEMA-designated counties (Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski) for residents that are eligible to apply for financial and direct services.
For information on how to apply for the Home Repair Program, visit the Arkansas Rural Development website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ar or call the Arkansas Rural Development Disaster Hotline at 501-301-3211, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Increased grant limits are available until Sept. 28.
IRS
Arkansas storm survivors now have until July 31, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.
This means that individuals and households that reside or have a business in Cross, Lonoke and Pulaski counties qualify for tax relief.
For more information visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-arkansas-storm-victims-qualify-for-tax-relief-april-18-deadline-other-dates-extended-to-july-31.
HUD
HUD is implementing federal disaster relief for the state of Arkansas to assist state and local recovery efforts for areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes.
Effective immediately, HUD is:
Providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. There is also a 90-day extension granted automatically for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President’s disaster declaration date.
Homeowners affected by the disaster should contact their mortgage or loan servicer immediately for assistance. Conventional mortgage holders may also be eligible for additional relief through their mortgage holder.
Call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320 for additional information. To learn more about disaster relief options for FHA homeowners visit the FHA Disaster Relief site.
Economic Recovery
Small Business Administration: Applicants (businesses, most private non-profits, homeowners and renters) for low-interest disaster loan may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance.
Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
Agricultural Producers: For loans and grants please contact Farm Services Agency to recover from losses, visit https://www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-tool#step-1.
Additional resources
The cleanup process in the aftermath of the March 31 severe storms continues across the state. Many people are displaced from their homes and it’s possible pets and livestock are displaced as well.
The state departments of Health and Agriculture are stepping in to help. If you have displaced, injured or missing pets or livestock due to the March 31 severe weather outbreak, please call 501-332-2000.