Little Rock, Arkansas – In a continued response to the severe storms and tornadoes that swept across Arkansas in mid-March, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed Executive Order 25-16 to provide crucial funding for disaster relief and recovery efforts. The order, signed on October 6, 2025, authorizes the release of $30,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Response and Recovery Fund to assist communities impacted by the extreme weather that began “on or about March 14th, 2025.”
Responding to Widespread Damage
The executive order outlines the necessity for state intervention due to “adverse circumstances” that have caused significant hardship and damage to both public infrastructure and private citizens across affected areas. The storms and tornadoes were described as severe enough to require emergency action from the state government.
Governor Sanders, invoking her authority under Arkansas Code Annotated §§ 12-75-101 et seq., formally amended a previous executive order (EO 25-05), initially issued on March 15, 2025. The amendment expands state support to ensure a more comprehensive recovery process for storm-impacted localities.
Targeted Assistance Through ADEM
According to the order, the funds will be managed by the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM). The agency’s director has been granted discretion to use the funds “to defray both program and administrative costs,” which could include logistics, personnel coordination, equipment deployment, or other emergency-related expenditures.
The move reinforces the state’s commitment to support “political subdivisions” that require additional help in the wake of these devastating storms. It acknowledges that local governments, while on the front lines of disaster response, may lack the full resources needed to recover effectively without state backing.
This funding serves as part of an ongoing effort by the Sanders administration to swiftly address disaster-related needs and provide relief where federal or insurance assistance may fall short. The executive order concludes with the Governor formally certifying the action and affixing the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas on the 6th of October, 2025.
