Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

NWS Honors OES Coordinator For Efforts During Spring Storms

Clark County's Office of Emergency Services coordinator, Jim Burns, was recently honored by the National Weather Service.

This was done for Burns' efforts during the March 1, 1997, tornadoes that ravaged Clark County and demolished much of Arkadelphia.

Winners for the NWS Excellence in Emergency Management Award were name at a meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. on Sept. 15, by Dr. Susan Zevin, deputy assistant administrator for operations for the NWS. This year, 17 such awards were presented to emergency personnel across the continental United States and Hawaii.

According to information from the NWS, the Little Rock office issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Clark County on March 1. This gave residents a 37-minute lead time to prepare for the incoming storms.

During the afternoon, 15 separate tornadoes, spawned by four supercell thunderstorms, killed a total of 25 people in the state, injured another 310 and caused property damage in the amount of $300 million.

As the storms approached Clark County, Burns activated the weather spotter network. Because of the storm's rapid movement and fact it hit on a Saturday afternoon, there were few spotters available.

Burns went out to "spot" for tornadoes himself. From his vehicle, Burns called his office and had the emergency warning sirens sounded.

The tornado trapped Burns and caused heavy damage to his vehicle.

Still, the sirens were sounded in Arkadelphia and other locations within the county, giving residents notice of the approaching storms and time to prepare. The lead time people had because of the warnings was such that the sirens were sounded a second time and left on until the tornado knocked out the electricity.

Burns is the immediate past president of the Arkansas Emergency Management Association (AEMA), vice chairman of the State Emergency Response Commission and past chairman of the Clark County Local Emergency Planning Committee. He currently serves on the Board of the Clark County Chapter of the American Red Cross.