Howell updates county clean-up progress

Conditions are progressing in Clay County, following a total effort by officials, employees and volunteers.

Though many rural residences remain without power, most in the larger towns of Rector and Piggott, as well as several homes in Corning, have had electricity restored.

County residents were able to find shelter following the devastating ice storm at community centers and shelters throughout the area.

"I want to personally thank all the volunteers and county officials and employees who worked at the different shelters," Howell said. "We've got some fine folks in Clay County that worked together to get us through this. You can't even begin to figure up all the time and effort that put into helping others by the volunteers. We can't thank them enough."

With much of the danger averted to individual homes, county crews have turned their attention to clearing and maintaining the estimated 1,000 miles of gravel roads in the county.

"We're trying to get the roads cleaned up so school buses and ambulances can get through," Clay County Judge Gary Howell said. "We've got them clear for the most part. It's been a long, hard process."

As with much of the overall efforts, the work on the roads moved forward more rapidly due to the help of volunteers.

"There were a lot of farmers who used their own equipment to help clear gravel roads," Howell said. "That helped us tremendously. I can't tell you how much faster that made the clean up go. We wouldn't be where we are as far as road clearing with just the 30 road department employees. It was a big, big help."

Howell said road crews soon will begin clearing brush moved to the sides of the road for disposal at the county's gravel pit just off the Titanic Road near Crockett. The area is allocated for use as a controlled burning zone by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, rains moving into the area Monday and Tuesday are expected to delay brush removal efforts by a couple days.

Howell also noted the assistance of volunteers in cleaning parks and cemeteries throughout the county. The work has been aided by the Arkansas Department of Corrections, which has made available the services of work crews from Mississippi County.

As residents turn an eye toward recovery, the process may be given a helping hand from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Two FEMA representatives were in Clay County Tuesday morning. The representatives were scheduled to visit towns and communities throughout the area, determining the need for assistance. At this time, however, there has been no declaration for individual assistance. Numerous rumors of federal assistance in recovering the cost of generators or tree removal have spread without any such assurance coming from federal officials.

Still, there have been undeniable steps taken toward a recovery in the county as a whole.

"After spending several continuous days in Clay County, it's evident there is progress being made," said Anthony Coy, the northeast area coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM). "It takes a lot of time to recover from an event like this. Crews are doing a wonderful job getting power restored in Clay County. It's important to remain patient. Everybody's doing all they can."