The Office of Emergency Management at Arkansas State University, in collaboration with the National Weather Service and the regional emergency management departments, hosted a storm spotter training event to inform local residents about effective disaster preparedness.

The event, held Saturday in the Valley View Church of Christ in Jonesboro, was originally scheduled for the previous week in First National Bank Arena. Coincidentally, the venue and date of the event were rescheduled due to the perceived danger of weekend storms.

This event was created through preparation and motivation from the counties of Craighead, Mississippi and Poinsett following dangerous spring storms in recent years. 

Ahtony Coy, director of the Office of Emergency Management for Craighead County, said he wanted the event to highlight the importance of safety in hazardous weather situations.

“What I want people to take away the most is that being a trained severe weather spotter does not mean you’re a chaser. Social media and television have really glorified those chasing professions or positions, and people kind of think that this is the first step. It’s not,” Coy said. “This is training you to be an effective pair of eyes for the weather service when they need it.”

This year, the storm training event became a uniting occurrence, allowing A-State to connect with the larger regional community and helping improve emergency communication between the university emergency management operators in nearby areas. 

Wyatt Reed, emergency operations and occupational safety specialist at A-State, said collective action and education are key in the event of an imminent weather threat. He said community cohesion is vital in risk-prone environments.

“We sometimes like to think that the A-State community, or Jonesboro or Blytheville, that all of these communities operate independently of each other, and that’s just really not the case,” Reed said. “We all rely on each other in our partnerships with each other for getting information in advance and getting resources and help.”

Todd Beal, warning coordinator at the National Weather Service in Memphis and the main presenter at the event, said regular and everyday citizens can play many valuable roles in the weather alerting process. He said the first is keeping oneself informed. 

Beal said trained storm spotters are vital for the weather warning protocol.

“Don’t assume we already know what’s happening,” Beal said. “Sometimes there are very benign up in storms on radar, but there could be a little bit more going on the ground than we think. That’s why spotters come in to play and have a valuable role.”

The National Weather Service in Memphis oversees and manages 55 counties in the Northeast Arkansas and Northeast Tennessee regions. As a region deeply embedded in “tornado alley,” joint awareness is especially essential in the local community. 

Wayne Reynolds, Director of the E911 Office of Emergency Management in Mississippi County, said those living in tornado alley have an even greater responsibility to stay informed and alert.

“Don’t take it for granted or say ‘the last one missed me.’ There’s always that chance, especially in this area. And in this position, I feel more responsible for everyone in the county, and I try to get the word out to them through weather service, through social media and such,” Reynolds said.

The A-State Office of Emergency Management has provided various severe weather resources to students on Linktree. These resources may be accessed at: https://linktr.ee/AStateSevereWx.

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