Severe weather can take a variety of forms and can occur any time of the year in Arkansas. Staying prepared and weather aware is the simplest way to stay safe in situations concerning severe weather.
Receiving Alerts
NOAA Weather Radio
A Public Alert-certified NOAA Weather Radio is the best way to receive instant weather advisories and information from the National Weather Service (NWS). Consumer models are available at many retailers and are often AC powered with battery backup. These radios monitor the automated 24-hour network of NWS radio stations that broadcast weather information directly from a nearby NWS office, and can be programmed using Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) to sound an alarm when severe weather watches or warnings are issued for your county. These messages can be received regardless of internet or telephone outages as long as they are powered.
The SAME code for Ouachita County is 005103.
CodeRED
Ouachita County and the city of Camden utilize the CodeRED emergency notification system to alert citizens about severe weather threats in the area. The system is provided for free to Ouachita County citizens.
The CodeRED severe weather alert system delivers severe weather advisories as bulletins are issued by the National Weather Service. The system delivers voice calls, text messages and emails to subscribed users within the direct path of the storm.
To sign up for the system, click on the link below. You will be required to enter the physical address where you would like to be alerted and a phone number. You may also enter a second phone number to be alerted, as well as an email address.
In addition to weather alerts, the subscriber may also select to receive other emergency notifications, such as boil orders, evacuation notices, and missing child alerts.
CodeRED Alerts Sign-up Link
The Camden Fire Department attempts to put severe weather watches and warnings on its Facebook page as they are issued by the National Weather Service, as well as other information such as road closures and hazards. However, due to the potential for emergency calls, Facebook posts and information should not be used as a primary means of notification for severe weather alerts.