Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders met with city officials in Hardy Monday morning after multiple rounds of severe weather battered Arkansas.
Sanders praised the north Arkansas town's resilience and noted their quick rescue and recovery efforts.
In audio captured by KARK 4 News, the governor detailed the extent of the damage.
"From the air, you can see just how far and how extensive the damage is; quite a few roadways, a lot of structural damage, certainly a lot of the park areas right there near the river," said Sanders. "The debris will be one of the biggest challenges moving forward, but there are quite a few areas that are right there along the Spring River that have pretty significant damage."
Hardy Mayor Ethan Barnes said the Spring River water level reached a historic high.
"Water levels reached historic heights, with an unofficial crest of 22.82— that's 22.82 feet.”
Barnes said the National Church of Christ association is bringing in necessities for those with immediate need, while further recovery efforts are ongoing.
"We are actively working to secure funding for long-term recovery efforts. The American Red Cross will be doing damage assessment and working with those who have been impacted to meet the unmet needs and financial assistance for those who qualify.”
Across the state, two people died as a result of storms and flooding, with at least 13 others injured in the storms.
An Arkansas Red Cross shelter has opened in Hardy for anyone needing shelter across the region. In other areas of Arkansas, recovery efforts are ongoing to restore utilities and clear debris.
The storm decimated areas of Central Arkansas' electrical grid. At its peak, the power was out to more than 27,000 properties in Central Arkansas. The outage was centered on Pulaski, Saline, and Hot Spring Counties.
On Friday, Sanders sent a formal disaster declaration request to the Trump administration, which was approved the following day.
The disaster declaration authorizes FEMA to coordinate federal disaster relief efforts and identify, mobilize, and provide equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.
A Saturday press release said, "Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, under the public assistance program, will be provided at 75% federal funding."
The assistance is available statewide for all impacted counties.
More information about recovery resources is available at HelpArkansas.com
