On Thursday night, May 30, the White House announced that President Donald Trump had signed an emergency declaration to provide national assistance to the state of Arkansas for the emergency conditions related to flooding and severe weather.
This action grants the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA the mobility and authority to coordinate disaster relief efforts in the state, which includes all discretionary equipment, resources and additional manpower.
This action by the President came off the heels of a phone call with Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday, and a formal letter by the Governor requesting the federal assistance. Just hours after the national declaration was signed, a levee breach in Dardanelle resulted in evacuations of residents of Holla Bend, a nearby town.
The latest from the National Weather Service reports Arkansas River staging in Little Rock at 27.3 feet, with a projection to reach 28 feet by early Sunday morning. The official flood stage is 23 feet.
According to Governor Hutchinson and his office, over 500 Arkansas homes have been affected by the flooding across the state, and the estimated economic impact is $23 million per day.
READ MORE: Officials Predict Historic Flooding of Arkansas River