Siloam Springs resubmits totals for federal disaster appeal

The city of Siloam Springs submitted new totals for the amount of damage incurred from the tornadoes in October of 2019 to Benton County Judge Barry Moehring's office in response to a denial for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in January.

"Yes, FEMA denied the request for a federal disaster declaration on Jan. 24, 2020, due to their opinion that the event was not of such severity or magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the affected local governments," said Phillip Patterson, city administrator.

The total submitted for damages incurred is $681,453.66, according to Christina Petriches, finance director for the city. The individual amount for city damage and clean-up was $83,492.86 and the costs related to the Siloam Springs Electric Department were $597,960.80, Petriches said. The totals were resubmitted to Moehring's office on Feb. 12, Petriches said.

These figures, along with the totals from other cities in Benton County, were sent to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) on Feb. 12, according to Channing Barker, communications director for Benton County.

On Jan. 24, FEMA notified the county via a letter of its decision, according Robert T. McGowen, administrator for public safety in Benton County. The reason for the denial was that Benton County did not meet the threshold for disaster, McGowen said.

Part of not meeting the threshold was due to FEMA not accepting the Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) numbers Benton County provided and reducing some of the amounts submitted, McGowen said in an email.

FEMA's reason for reducing the amounts was, "FEMA will take reductions based on insurance coverage at the time or if there is an obtain and maintain requirement from a previous disaster at the same facility for the same peril," according to an email from Robin Smith, FEMA Region 6 -- External Affairs. When asked about the comment, Smith was unable to provide an explanation.

The county had 30 days to appeal the denial from FEMA, according to Melody Daniel, Public Information Officer for ADEM. FEMA does not have a timetable as to when it will respond to the appeal, Daniel said.

Two tornadoes hit the city of Siloam Springs in the early morning of Oct. 21, 2019, according to the National Weather Service out of Tulsa, Okla. An EF-1 started in Adair County, Oklahoma, and hit the southwestern side of the city. An EF-2 tornado touched down on the southeast side of Siloam Springs and moved further into Benton County, destroying a home in the Forest Hills subdivision which is northeast of Siloam Springs.