Arkansas tornadoes a reminder to take severe weather alerts seriously

Late last month, two dozen tornadoes wreaked havoc in northeast Arkansas.

While there were more than 20 injuries, the storm did not claim any lives. Part of the reason for no fatalities can be traced to more people staying at home due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. That's the good news. But the tornadoes still caused significant destruction.

While most of our attention is focused on the novel coronavirus these days, this storm was an important reminder that severe weather is a possibility this time of year. One way to stay informed is through the weather text alerts available at semisssourian.com. This is a free service to our community.

We realize there are a lot of things to think about these days, staying healthy being chief among them. But take weather alerts seriously. It could be the difference between life and death.