ROGERS, Ark. — In the early morning hours of May 26, as multiple storms swept through Arkansas, Alex and Cassandra Vang acted quickly to keep their family out of harm's way.
In their home, that meant clearing the bathroom sink and having their two young boys crouch in to stay protected from the storm.
"The first thing we were hearing was the glass shattering. Then, after a few minutes, I realized that the rain was coming through the roof on us," said Cassandra Vang. "At that point, the roof had lifted off and we just had drywall around us. It was so loud, and it lasted forever. It felt like it went on forever. And then it was over."
Like many people in this neighborhood, there’s not much left to salvage from their homes.
"We are renters. But the owner has said that they're planning on totaling it," Cassandra said.
Without a home and staying with her inlaws, Vang was looking for any option to help find a sense of normalcy. She applied for aid with FEMA a few days ago, and thankfully she said the response has been rapid.
"I told her how stressed we were about going into the interview and adjustment with her. You just don't know what to expect. It feels scary," explains Vang. "But she said 'Don't worry about it. We know what we're doing, we're gonna take care of it for you.'"
FEMA was officially sent into the area when the storm was classified as a disaster. Now they’re working to set up disaster recovery centers in Madison, Boone, and Benton counties where residents can apply for short-term and long-term financial assistance.
FEMA offers aid for immediate resources like medicine, baby supplies, food, temporary housing, unemployment assistance, work-related equipment, and more.
There is an in-depth interview process to understand the specific needs of the individual and how much aid they might qualify for. More information about how to apply for FEMA assistance can be found in our article here.
If you'd like to support the Vang family's post-tornado fund, check out their GoFundMe here
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