Little Rock neighborhoods still seeing property damage from 2023 tornado
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – More than a year has passed since the March 31, 2023, tornado that tore through parts of Arkansas. Some areas have rebuilt, while others are still the way they were on that very day.
Changing the landscape for the better has proven to be harder than expected.
Arkansas storm chaser reflects on March 31 tornado
Walnut Valley resident Dillon Bevil-Smith said they’ve been battling problems he feels like should already be taken care of.
“I knew it would take a while, but I didn’t know the battles that we would have to wind up facing in order to get the progress that we have gotten,” Bevil-Smith said.
Neighborhoods like Walnut Valley, the Reservoir Road area and others are still facing setbacks when it comes to restoring property to its former glory.
“Insurance is a huge issue, we have a handful of residents who still haven’t gotten a single penny from their insurance companies,” Bevil-Smith said.
“Currently we have a lot of out-of-state investors that have purchased properties, who are leaving them completely unattended, it’s infuriating,” Bevil-Smith said.
Ward 4 Little Rock City Director Capi Peck said the city has cited these entities and are now in the next phase of trying to hold them accountable.
“We are in the process of finding people, the big challenge will be these out-of-state entities, that really don’t care,” Peck said.
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They say they’re worried that it could end up in environmental court, which Peck doesn’t want to happen.
“It’s going to be a slow process, and what I really truly dread are those that will not be responsive no matter what,” Peck said.
Bevil-Smith says the neighborhood has been through enough and is ready for a long-awaited change.
“We want to be able to have more homes built up, not just for property value, we want to see our neighbors come back,” Bevil-Smith said.
They say these vacant properties are bringing looters to the area, even a year after the tornado.
Peck said they are doing what they can to address the issue.
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