Washington group confronts FEMA on behalf of Dumas
Published by Jeff March 7th, 2007 in News.Members of the Monticello contingency visiting Washington D.C. learned from Senator Mark Pryor on Tuesday night that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was most likely not going to allocate any money for disaster relief in Dumas in the wake of the devastating twin tornadoes that passed through the area two weeks ago. In response, the group decided Tuesday evening to go to the FEMA offices Wednesday morning to intercede on behalf of the community of Dumas.
According to Dave Dickson, Union Bank president, the group was able to visit with two staff members of FEMA before the group had to leave for an appointment in Senator Pryor’s office. The group became known quickly as the “FEMA 12.”
Described by Bennie Ryburn III as a “20 minute confrontational duel” involving himself, Dave Dickson, Mayor Joe Rogers, Judge Damon Lampkin and FEMA staffers, the Monticello group tried to asset the need for aid from FEMA for the community of Dumas.
One of the interesting sidenotes is the fact that many of Arkansas’ southern cities privided so much aid to hurricane evacuees in the last three years, including Rita and Katrina. In doing so, they took up a “lot of slack for FEMA” according to some.
Ryburn said that the acrimonious meeting did not make much headway but that the Arkansas Congressional delegation pledged to continue working on it. The FEMA staff stressed that the state of Arkansas currently is operating under an $840 million budget surplus, and it believed that the state could handle the cost of relief and aid, as well as the community of Dumas.
FEMA related that it was still trying to ascertain if the Dumas tornado damage constituted a “disaster.”
The group was concerned that allocations were being in other states but that Dumas was being left out of the disaster relief funding.
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Can I just say that,that is HORRIBLE!!!The people of Dumas deserve help!!!!!!!!!!
What good is FEMA? They never show up or either so late the damage is beyond help. I do believe the American public is loosing faith in MOST of our leaders. It is time for a change.
Thank you Monticello, for your support!!!!!
Monticello,
Thanks for your thoughts, support and prayers. Dumas was blessed with having no deaths. We are tired, torn-up and underinsured, but I am encouraged by the relationships we have with our good neighbors–including Monticello.
Small town America seems big enough to pay a fair share of taxes, but too small to enjoy ANY of the benefits, funded by taxes, when a disaster occurs.
Thanks again.
Many thanks to all of our friends in Monticello during this very trying time in Dumas. We appreciate your visit to FEMA more than you will ever know. We are taking care of each other the best we can and will continue to work our way through this catasrophe. What a good neighbor you are to us!
Don’t know if anyone caught it, but CNN did a report on this last night (not about the Monticello group, just the fact that funding hasn’t been given to Arkansas). On Anderson Cooper 360, a reporter asked the question of why FEMA isn’t allowing trailers only 160 miles away to be transported to those without homes. The program has been following those 8,000 trailers that have been sitting idley in Hope since Katrina, and they talked to several Dumas residents about the lack of federal response to the disaster. The hold-up is inexplicable and another blight on the face of FEMA. Terribly sad.
neighbor helping neighbor is so good
never know when u might need help yourself it is good to stay in good grace of your neighbor