CAMDEN — With several residents still without power, local businesses and churches are offering themselves as cooling centers for those affected by Wednesday’s storms.
Ouachita Vally Community Foundation Executive Director Rajveer Kang said, “After a crisis, it can be very confusing determining where to turn for help. Though at OVCF we are unable to provide immediate funds for disaster relief, we still aim to be helpful where we are needed. In this instance, we have made it a priority to pass on any essential information or resources available to those affected by the storm on our fb (Facebook) page.
“We are also sharing any opportunities for volunteering so those who were not affected can assist those who are. That is what makes Ouachita County a wonderful community to live in - our willingness to help our neighbors”
First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Koinonia of Grace Church and the Camden Senior Center are offering cooling centers, with First United Methodist Church offering a charging station.
Also, he Bearden Fire Department opened it’s doors to residents of Bearden, a Facebook post said:
“The Bearden fire station is currently open for those of you with medical devices, the elderly, those with small children, etc. We have water, power, a/c, and clean restrooms free of charge. We’re also currently accepting donations of prepared food, water, drinks, toilet paper, extension cords, paper plates and towels, etc., for those without power. This will continue until further notice.”
Residents staying overnight are encouraged to bring a cot or mattress.
A Facebook post from the Camden Police Department said, “Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is in Camden. If you need help cleaning up debris on your property, you can pick up this form at CPD or at City Hall. All you need to do is fill the form out and return to the Public Works Office at City Hall.”
Also on Facebook, Mayor Julian Lott said, “Last night, high winds swept through Camden causing much property damage. Some of our neighbors still have outages. If you need assistance or want to offer assistance to our neighbors, please contact Director Dorsey at Camden Public Works 870-837-5500.”
The Ouachita County Sheriff’s Department and the Ouachita County Sheriff Reserves will have additional deputies on duty in the areas of Ouachita County affected by the power outages. If you are currently out of town and would like deputies to do a security check of your residence, contact the OCSO at (870) 231-5300 and provide your address to the dispatch center.
Ouachita County Judge Robert McAdoo and Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Andrea Tippit are announcing that those who have damage to their homes can call 837-2206 and report it to the Office of Emergency Management. They are taking information about home damage, not to any other property.
Due to the judge and Tippit being out of their offices as they continue to assess damage in the area, they are urging people to leave a message regarding the damage to homes. The message must include a name and a phone number.
On Friday morning, Ouachita Electric posted an update:
“As of this morning, there are still approximately 3,500 members without electricity. We hope to be able to restore as many today as possible, as quickly and safely as possible, but we do anticipate some restorations to happen as late as Saturday. As we get members turned on today, we will post updates. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding. We are working hard for you! Call 1-877-252-4538 to report an outage. Call 911 for emergencies”
Entergy’s outage map showed 3,832 still without power.
The site stated: “Restoration efforts are underway and while we expect many customers will be restored earlier, we expect that all customers that can receive power should be restored by Sunday, June 23rd, at 10 p.m. The estimated time of restoration could change as all damage assessments are completed. We apologize for this inconvenience.”
Saturday’s forecast shows a high of 94 with mostly sunny skies. Sunday will have a high of 92 with a 20-percent chance of thunderstorms.