NORTH LITTLE ROCK – The state of Arkansas has already begun to accept evacuees from Louisiana. As of now Fort Chaffee has roughly 200 evacuees already on site with three planes still in route to the military base. There are 2,000 evacuees on their way to Fort Chaffee via bus.
“We have been planning for this situation since Hurricane Katrina. We have a pre-arranged agreement to accept 4,000 controlled evacuees at Fort Chaffee but we are also coordinating resources from counties across the state where people have chosen to self evacuate.” says Richard Griffin, Arkansas Emergency Operations Center Team Chief. The Arkansas Emergency Operations Center is housed within the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM).
Shelters have opened up for those who chose to self evacuate. These shelters may or may not be ADA compliant. If you are in need of an ADA compliant shelter please contact the shelter in advance to see if they are able to accommodate those needs. Shelter information can be found on the ADEM website: www.adem.arkansas.gov. Arkansans interested in helping out should contact their local authorities.
