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The Baxter County Budget Committee will meet Thursday at 3:30 p.m. to review bids for upgrading the county’s aging tornado warning system.
The meeting, scheduled for the third-floor conference room of the Baxter County Courthouse, follows requests from local residents to examine options for updating the county’s outdated siren infrastructure.
Three of Baxter County’s 13 tornado sirens are currently non-functional, according to Justice of the Peace Bob Nault, who raised concerns about the warning system during April’s Quorum Court meeting. The county’s siren system was last upgraded in the 1990s.
“People just want an answer,” Nault said at the April meeting. “They want to know why we can’t have someone come in and take a look at it, see what it would cost, and see if there are any grants out there.”
The urgency for improved warning systems has been highlighted by severe weather events, including the May 26, 2024, tornado that devastated the Briarcliff community, destroying 14 homes and heavily damaging 40 others. Residents reported having minimal warning before the EF-3 tornado struck at approximately 4 a.m.
“It hit so quickly! We didn’t even have time to grab our dogs,” said Cindy Buettmann, whose Briarcliff home survived the tornado. The Buettmanns received phone alerts about the tornado but had little time to reach their safe room.
The timing issue extends beyond sirens. During a recent weather event, Nault reported that Nixle text alerts arrived at 6 p.m., nearly 15 minutes after tornado sirens had activated at 5:45 p.m.
“If you’re sleeping and get a text, it’s not going to wake you up,” Nault said.
Replacing individual sirens costs approximately $32,000 to $33,000 per unit, according to estimates presented to the court. However, companies like Storm Sirens Incorporated in Oklahoma offer free assessments and grant-writing assistance.
The budget committee’s review comes as Arkansas continues recovering from multiple severe weather events. While nine tornadoes touched down across the state during March 2025 storms, including two rare EF-4 tornadoes — the first in Arkansas since 2021 — those storms affected other parts of the state.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who toured Briarcliff’s tornado damage in May 2024, encouraged residents to consider adding storm shelters when rebuilding.
“We’ve talked to several people who have done that here in this community and are thankful for it,” Sanders said during her visit.
One Baxter County resident who attended the April Quorum Court meeting reported never hearing the Baker Lake/McCabe Park siren during recent tornado events, despite living only one mile away.
Judge Kevin Litty has indicated openness to exploring options for the warning system, suggesting the county could advertise for bids to assess siren needs.
Thursday’s budget committee meeting is open to the public.
