Gov. Sanders requests federal help as local relief continues

Walmart has debuted a disaster relief operation early in light of the storms that have left some with lost or damaged homes or without electricity.

State of play: Residents can shower, drop off laundry, eat, charge their phones and use WiFi at the Walmart Neighborhood Market parking lot on South Eighth Street in Rogers.

• The company was set to unveil the multi-agency recovery center that it plans to keep on hand for natural disasters next week at its annual Associates Week, spokesperson Joe Pennington told Axios. It's a partnership with Tide, P&G and Matthew 25 Ministries.

The latest: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday requested a major disaster declaration from President Biden to help Arkansans affected by storms.

• The request includes assistance for Benton, Boone and Marion counties, plus individual assistance and federal Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Zoom in: Some downtown Rogers businesses were still closed on Wednesday as they were without power. Flashback Pizza and Milkshakes hasn't been able to operate its restaurant but has been cooking up burgers and hot dogs for first responders and people affected by the storms with donated food items.

• The restaurant plans to continue as long as it receives donations, co-owner Dustin Simmons told Axios. They've seen hundreds of people — some without electricity and some who have lost their homes — take them up on it since they started Sunday.
• Likewise, Springdale-based Casa Alejo on Wednesday was cooking tacos outside its future downtown Rogers restaurant.

Zoom out: "A limited number" of National Guard members will help today with recovery work like traffic control and flagging for utility work, according to the city of Rogers. Sanders said late Tuesday that she had authorized the National Guard to help with recovery efforts in Benton County.

• More than 19,800 customers in Benton County were without power on Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.

What happened: Benton County had seven tornadoes on Sunday, including an EF3 in Decatur, according to a Wednesday report from the National Weather Service. An EF5 is the most intense rating.

By the numbers: Walmart, Sam's Club and Walmart Foundation are donating $2 million toward storm relief, including grants to organizations providing relief. The company is working with NWA nonprofits on immediate needs for food, water, clothing and household items, according to a news release.

Things to know: Updates are available on the Benton County Facebook page.

• FEMA assessed the damage on Wednesday.

Keep reading for closures, cancelations, resources and more information