Several Mississippi and Louisiana families have begun arriving in the Branson area, looking for places to stay until they can make sense of what happened to their homes, or when they might be able to go back.
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Ann Stafford, of the Jim Stafford Theater, said area theaters were trying to organize a benefit concert that would be televised as a telethon.
"We've asked people to enjoy our hospitality during good times," she said. "We want them to enjoy our hospitality during bad times, too."
Mike Rankin, economic developer for Branson, said the city recognizes that hurricane victims might be displaced for months, and would like to assist in finding jobs for those who want them.
It appears that today will be the beginning of the first wave of some 20,000 evacuees that will be coming to Arkansas," a shirt-sleeved Huckabee said during the annual Arkansas Emergency Management Conference, which was scheduled well in advance of the hurricane disaster.
"Twenty thousand!" Huckabee repeated with emphasis. "That's in addition to the ones that are already here in our shelters."...4,000 of those left homeless from the hurricane will be sent to Fort Chaffee, the same place where more than 20,000 Cuban exiles landed in 1980. Another 3,500 will be housed at church camps, while the state will also provide an additional 250 bed at Department of Housing and Urban Development-operated homes across the state.
About 1,000 Arkansas National Guard troops have been sent to Mississippi and Louisiana to help with cleanup and search and rescue efforts, said Guard Spokeswoman Capt. Kristine Munn. Some of the troops also will help with law enforcement in New Orleans, which has been plagued by looters and violence since the city flooded and evacuated.
Forty state police troopers also have been sent to northern Louisiana to help with law enforcement, officials said Thursday.
Meanwhile, churches, civic and community groups continued to offer shelter and food to the hurricane refugees throughout the state.
A fish fry was held for people staying in Saline County, and Little Rock-area churches were adopting area hotels and motels and offering assistance to Mississippi and Louisiana residents.
The Benton Area Chamber of Commerce was sending leaflets daily to all of the hotels and motels in Saline County in an effort to notify people about meal locations and other assistance, said Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant.
In Pine Bluff, more than 30 people were being sheltered at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The Red Cross and Royal Arkansas Hotel and Suites, which is connected to the convention center, were providing meals.
"A number of insurance companies have contacted us to provide long term accommodations and we have obliged with special rates," said G.D. Becker Jr., president and CEO of the Royal Arkansas Hotel and Suites.
As of noon, Thursday, there were 1,605 hurricane refugees staying at hotels, motels and shelters in El Dorado alone,...Crossett Mayor Scott McCormick said there were between 300 and 400 hurricane victims, in his town. Crossett has a usual population of about 6,100, he said.
"When they first got here, parents didn't want to let their kids out of arm's reach," state Rep. Johnnie Bolin, D-Crossett, said of the displaced families. What those families need most is a feeling of safety, he said.
"I talked to probably 20 people this morning who went for meals served at the Baptist church, and the biggest thing they needed was some reassurance, some safety and an opportunity for somebody to sit and listen to them," Bolin said. "The pattern was always the same: They'd tell you what happened to them, then all at once they'd switch the subject and ask what goes on in this community and what they can do tomorrow."
People helping people...one person at a time...
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