Little Rock to Collect Tornado Debris at Reservoir Park

City Board Recognizes Firefighters from Station 9

LITTLE ROCK – Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced today that Reservoir Park will serve as a drop-off site for yard waste and debris from Friday’s tornado.

Starting Tuesday, April 4, residents may dispose of vegetative and construction debris at the park, 8321 Cantrell Road, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The City will accept only those two types of debris, and they must be separated before drop-off. Residents and contractors will enter and exit Reservoir Park from the Cantrell Road entrance. This is a critical step towards the City clean-up efforts as Little Rock begins removing debris from neighborhoods.

The City’s regularly scheduled yard waste routes are suspended this week, as are individual bulky waste pickups. Solid waste and recycling collection routes continue as scheduled.

Meanwhile today, Mayor Scott and city staff briefed the Little Rock Board of Directors on the disaster response thus far, and Board members recognized the firefighters based at Fire Station 9 who were in the building when it was severely damaged by Friday’s EF3 tornado. About 20 area residents had sought shelter at the station before the tornado struck.

“With damage and debris all around them, these valiant first responders in Fire Station 9 went above and beyond to tend to their neighbors and help their community,” Mayor Scott said. “We are especially grateful to those firefighters and all city workers and volunteers who have dedicated themselves to helping in response and recovery.”

Today was the first full day of operation for the Family Assistance Center, located at Immanuel Baptist Church’s City Center, 315 N. Shackleford Road. Sen. Tom Cotton joined Mayor Scott to tour this center this afternoon.

As of today, the Center has provided more than 600 grocery relief packages to displaced residents.

The Family Assistance Center offers water, food and other necessities. Charging stations are available for residents who remain without power to charge their devices. Several community nonprofit organizations are also set up to offer their resources. FEMA has a presence there to help facilitate applications for federal disaster relief.

Other updates:

HOUSING: For displaced residents, a temporary emergency shelter is open at Calvary Baptist Church, 5700 Cantrell Road. The City of Little Rock issued about 200 five-day housing vouchers to impacted residents. Partnering hotels have reached capacity, so the City is working to increase capacity to work through the waiting list. Please follow the City’s social media pages for updates regarding vouchers.

PARKS: Reservoir Park is closed, having taken a direct hit from the tornado. It is now being used as a public collection site for debris; Murray Park is closed; and the Rock Creek Trail is closed.

DISASTER AID: FEMA officials are available at the Family Assistance Center. Applications for disaster assistance can be submitted through the FEMA app or online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling (800) 621-3362.

RESOURCE CONNECTIONS: United Way operates a 24-hour hotline, Arkansas 211. Individuals may dial 211 or (866) 489-6983, text their zip code to 898-211 or visit Arkansas211.org to report disaster-related issues to the City. Arkansas 211 will connect callers to available resources, working with the City of Little Rock and other community partners.

BOARD MEETING CANCELLED: Tuesday’s scheduled meeting of the Little Rock Board of Directors has been cancelled. The Board will next meet on Tuesday, April 11, at 4 p.m.

DONATE DOLLARS: Tax-exempt donations may be made to the Little Rock Cares fund. One-hundred percent of all donations will go toward recovery efforts. Visit www.LittleRock.gov to donate.

DONATE GOODS: The City is accepting donations of water and non-perishable foods at its drop-off site at 7000 Murray St. The drop-off site is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Specific needs include: Cans of tuna fish, soup, pasta and chicken (flip-top cans are preferred); peanut butter; jelly; quart- and sandwich-sized plastic bags; cereal; toilet paper; paper grocery bags; and manual can openers.

VOLUNTEER: More than 600 people have already signed up to help volunteer to distribute donations or help with cleanup. Sign up to volunteer atLittleRock.gov/volunteer.

REPORT DAMAGE: With nearly 3,000 structures impacted, the City is collecting information from residents about the extent of storm damage. Visit https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a15bee59aa67430189e71e59d81e9655 to complete an assessment.

DISPLACED ANIMALS: Contact Little Rock Animal Village at FriendsOfTheAnimalVillage.org or call (501) 376-3067.

The City of Little Rock’s web page dedicated to tornado response is LittleRock.gov/relief.

Follow the City’s updates on Facebook and Twitter for the latest and most up-to-date information