Disaster unemployment assistance available for counties hit by March storms

Above image: State Sen. Missy Irvin (center, in jeans) provides an overview of storm damage in Fifty-Six for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (left, in overcoat) on March 20, 2025.

Residents in several north central Arkansas counties who lost jobs or income due to the severe storms and tornadoes on March 14–15 can now apply for federal disaster unemployment assistance, state officials announced Tuesday.

Workers and self-employed individuals in Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp, and Stone counties may qualify for benefits under the presidential disaster declaration FEMA-4865-DR, according to Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald.

The assistance is designed for those who are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance and whose work was lost or interrupted directly because of the storms. That includes those who were injured, became the primary household provider due to a death, or cannot reach their place of employment because of storm-related damage or closures.

Applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, or DUA, must be filed by **July 7, 2025**, either online at ezarc.adws.arkansas.gov or in person at an Arkansas Workforce Center during weekday business hours. Late applications will be denied unless claimants can show good cause for the delay.

To qualify for DUA, individuals must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Worked or were self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment.
• Can no longer work or perform services, including lack of work or loss of revenue because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster. This also includes the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by federal, state or local government in immediate response to the disaster.
• Establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
• Do not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state.
• Cannot work or resume self-employment because of an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
• Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household.
• Are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster.

How to apply:

First, apply for regular unemployment insurance online at ezarc.adws.arkansas.gov.

On the UI application, select “Laid off – Weather” as the reason for separation. If found ineligible for regular UI or if UI benefits have been exhausted, applicants will receive a link to complete the DUA application or be mailed a paper version.

After filing a DUA claim, applicants have 21 days to submit documentation verifying income, such as income tax statements, recent pay stubs, W-2 forms or other proof of 2024 net income.

Officials noted that some claimants may not have access to income documents due to property losses from the storms. While that may cause delays, staff will work with applicants to confirm income and expedite processing.

The announcement follows damage assessments in nine Arkansas counties impacted by the March storms, which included destructive tornadoes and widespread wind damage.

For more information, visit bit.ly/ArkDUA2025 or call 844-908-2178.

Image: Becca Paschal/Arkansas Governor’s Office