LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas has had too much experience in mass-casualty disasters, “but the good news is, we’re getting better at it,” Gov. Mike Beebe told the state’s emergency-management leaders gathered Thursday in North Little Rock.
Speaking to local, state and federal officials attending the Arkansas Emergency Management conference at the Wyndham Riverfront-Little Rock hotel, Beebe acknowledged that the state’s response to emergencies could improve and urged those gathered to collaborate in planning for the next tornado or flood.
“We’re in this together,” he said.
David Maxwell, director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, introduced Beebe, saying, “Unfortunately, we’ve had so many disasters in this state during his tenure as governor, we’ve spent quite a bit of time together.”
The governor recalled his first disaster as governor in 2007, when a tornado blew through the heart of Dumas’ business district, destroying 25 businesses and putting about 650 people out of work.
He pointed to how much the state’s relationship with the Federal Emergency Management Agency had improved by February 2008, when a tornado ravaged the town of Atkins while it tore a 122-mile path through the Ozarks.
“Sometimes we do a betterjob then other times,” he said. “I bragged on FEMA after Atkins. And I needed to brag on them because I trashed the heck out of them after Dumas. They were awful in 2007.”
Beebe said he asked FEMA in 2007 for trailers being stored in Hope that were left over from Hurricane Katrina efforts. Thirteen days passed before he heard back from federal authorities.
“I said, we’re going to take care of our people with or without the federal government,” he recalled. “They did much better after Atkins. They had the FEMA director down here after the Atkins tornado.”
Beebe talked about how helpless he felt this June when a flash flood killed 20 people at the Albert Pike Recreation Area near Langley.
“There was nothin’ I could do,” he said. “I couldn’t find anybody. I couldn’t repair a road or move debris. ... I was just extra baggage. There was no need for me. That’s how good the cooperation was.
“I’m proud of how Arkansas has learned to improve our responsiveness. I’m cognizant of the fact that we’ll screw up from time to time. We’ll make mistakes. We’ll learn from them.
“What you need to understand is, I’m proud of you,” he said. “All I really do is show up.”
The conference continues this morning with a panel discussion about the Albert Pike flood and appearances by U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and U.S. Rep. Mike Ross later in the day.
Arkansas, Pages 10 on 09/03/2010