LITTLE ROCK — A statewide disaster response center in Magnolia is to receive a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, it was announced today.

The offices of U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, announced the grant for the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development, Inc., to help the state recover from the devastating tornadoes, flooding and storms in 2008.

The center will have professional and volunteer personnel to assist areas declared presidential disasters with recover efforts to assess economic lo9sses, development an economic recovery strategy, develop disaster recovery and mitigation projects, coordinate project implementation and evaluate both short and long term recovery for the region.

Nearly every county in the state was declared a disaster area in 2008 because of severe storms, tornadoes, flooding and the remnants of Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Ike.

Tags: Blanche Lincoln, Gustav, Ike, Magnolia, Mark Pryor, Mike Ross

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