Effects of January ice storm still felt

"These last two weeks have just been overwhelming," Piggott Mayor Gerald Morris reflected Monday morning. The city of Piggott, like the remainder of Northeast Arkansas and portions of Southeast Missouri, is still recoving from the effects of a devastating ice storm that pounded the region in late January. But luckily, power has been restored to much of the area as mild weather has allowed line crews from across the nation to help rebuild the area's power infrastructure.

Several thousand customers of Clay County Electric remained without power Monday morning, while about 95 percent of Piggott residents were still depending on the city-owned power plant. Morris indicated the flow of outside power to the city should resume by the weekend. Meanwhile, generators are being used to power local factories and the local school campuses.

Also on Monday, FEMA officials began an assessment visit to the region with a stop in Piggott as they began the process of determining if individual assistance will be offered. Under the emergency declaration, public assistance was made available immediately, and FEMA now will be compiling a report to determine whether assistance to individual households is warranted. That report will be forwarded to Gov. Mike Beebe and any further requests will originate in his office.

Richard Griffin, with FEMA, noted the agency will be visiting households throughout the area in an attempt to document the damage from the ice storm and its impact. The effort began Monday in Piggott and is expected to continue throughout much of the week.

Individuals that have experienced damage that severely impacts their lives, such as rural residents who have lost their wellhouse, are encouraged to contact the Clay County Office of Emergency Management. The OEM will then serve as a go-between with FEMA in addressing the needs of local residents.

The local OEM office and coordinator Travis Boyd has remained busy as requests for help are made. Boyd also has stayed busy providing generators to rural water districts, fire departments and other agencies that are still without power across the county. His office is also serving as a clearing house for requests for aid that are being submitted to FEMA.

Meanwhile, Clay County Judge Gary Howell has continued to work on the county's roads and bridges and has coordinated efforts to clear paths for the many line crews that are operating. Howell also submitted his damage figures to FEMA last week and has estimated damage to the county's roads and bridges at more than $6 million.