Emergency Management Directors Receive Weather Preparedness Update
Last week, Southwest Area Coordinator Cecil McGee with the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) organized a meeting for county emergency management directors with representatives from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Shreveport.
The Southwest Area includes Polk, Montgomery, Garland, Hot Spring, Clark, Pike, Howard, Sevier, Little River, Hempstead, Nevada, Columbia, Lafayette and Miller counties.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Chris Nuttall, along with Lead Forecasters Marty Mayeaux and Matt Hemingway, provided emergency management directors with information about upcoming changes, forecasting tools and other services available through the National Weather Service.
Mayeaux reported that, on average, Arkansas experiences the remnants of a hurricane system every one to two years. The state also averages between 27 and 35 tornadoes annually. So far in 2026, nine tornadoes have been reported in Arkansas.
Most Arkansas tornadoes are classified as EF1 or EF2, Mayeaux said. He noted that tornadoes most commonly occur between 2 and 8 p.m., with spring being the peak season.
Arkansas also experiences an average of one to five localized floods or flash floods each year that can contribute to multistate or billion-dollar disasters. In addition, thousands of thunderstorms occur across the state annually.
The information was provided to encourage county emergency management officials to take a proactive approach to disaster preparedness rather than simply reacting when a disaster occurs. Officials were encouraged to plan ahead and be prepared for the possibility of a major disaster.
NWS representatives also discussed new technology being deployed to improve weather observations. Climavision is installing high-resolution supplemental weather radars across the country to help fill critical low-level observation gaps in the National Weather Service’s NEXRAD radar network. One of those supplemental radars is currently operating in Nevada County.
Mayeaux also discussed the computer models used by the National Weather Service to predict weather and develop forecasts. He explained that forecasters evaluate multiple models, eliminate outliers and develop forecasts based on the scenarios they determine are most likely to occur.
For weather information, forecasts and preparedness resources, follow the National Weather Service in Shreveport on Facebook or visit weather.gov.