SALINE COUNTY, Ark. — Emergency management teams across the state have been keeping a close eye on the weather, including Saline County’s team, who has been monitoring it closely since last Friday.
“When this occurs, we bring our staff to stand by, we enter an area of preparedness sharing information with the general public with our first responders,” said Director Brandon Guillot.
Their number one priority is sharing information, especially if a tornado could be coming— they make sure to use all the tools at their disposal to get the word out.
“The outdoor warning sirens are one method of notifying the public that something is happening,” said Guillot.“Sirens work best for outdoor areas or places of public gathering. They only travel about a mile and their limits getting into buildings can be kind of severe.”
Due to those limits, Guillot said that they make sure to reach people through their phones.
“Pushing out warnings and considerations for our citizens. But another one is our everbridge platform,” said Guillot. “This is really a way for emergency management to reach our individuals in different areas that may not have siren coverage or other means of reaching warnings.”
If you’re concerned you won't be able to hear a siren when it goes off and your phone has died, experts advised making sure you have another resource like a weather radio.
“Weather radios are going to be able to receive frequencies if your cell phone towers go down,” Guillot explained.
Using a radio may seem outdated but it's something the National Weather Service also uses to do their part.
“That's really the only way people can get warnings directly from us is by listening to their weather radio,” said Dennis Cavanaugh with the National Weather Service.
Cavanaugh added that this reliable tool can keep you updated at any time.
“It makes a loud noise, you know, as a dangerous storm is approaching to let you know that, hey, you've got to wake up and take shelter,” said Cavanaugh.
Both experts have encouraged people to make sure they have more than one way to be weather aware.
“Have a plan for not only how you're going to be able to receive information, but what you're going to do once you receive that warning,” said Guillot.