Watson Area Volunteer Fire Dept

01/31/2026

Desha County Residents:
We are unsure @ this time if fema & state aid will be available but if you have any storm damage & would like to fill out an application please reach out to the email listed below and I will email the paperwork to you. Be sure to send photos & other documentation pertaining to the damage with your application.
Email: [email protected]

01/30/2026

01/24/2026

Last Roadway Report for the Day:
3:30 p.m.
I wish I had better news, but the roadways are not much better than they were this morning. Hwy 65 has slushed up from traffic, but it will be covered again tonight as freezing rain and sleet is forecasted throughout the night. Most city streets remain covered. If you have to drive, you can do so safely, just drive slow and use caution. We will have extra personnel working until the weather conditions improve. I am proud to report only one vehicle has slid of the roadway. C & L Linemen were out before daylight getting power restored, and I met with Entergy Linemen earlier who are staged at their office in McGehee, ready to respond. Stay warm and stay safe. As always, if the Desha County Sheriff’s Office can be of service to you in any way, please call Central Dispatch. 870.866.4158, or 911 for an emergency. May God bless all our First Responders, ARDOT Personnel, Utility Workers, and God Bless Desha County.

-Sheriff Mitch Grant

01/24/2026

Road Report #3
6:14 a.m.

I am currently in Watson, and the power is out. Hwy 277 is covered and slick. Hwy 1 from Back Gate to Watson is covered and slick. Do not trust the sections of roadway that has no slush, and looks to be clear. It is ice, and very slick. Sleet has been falling the entire time I have been in the truck. The temp has fallen to 20 degrees. Keep the power company linemen in your prayers, as they work to restore power.

01/24/2026

Road Report #2
5:42 a.m.
The slush on the north end of the county is thicker. Hwy 138 is completely covered and is slick. Plows have been running on Hwy 65, but cannot remove the thin layer of ice. Hwy 54 is covered and slick. On Hwy 165, there are huge patches of black ice, that is more dangerous and slick than the slush. It also goes dark down Hwy 165 once you leave Dumas. It appears that power may be lost down to Pendleton. The bridge there is completely covered in slush, but is passable.