Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – July 28, 2024 – If there was a catastrophic earthquake on the well-documented New Madrid Fault it is possible much of our area could be cut off from receiving life-sustaining supplies. If that happened, what could be done to deliver those important supplies?
Earthquake scares on Social Media – Jonesboro Right Now
The Air Force may have an answer. Land a U.S. Air Force C-130 on a highway. And, just in case, the Air Force will conduct a catastrophe exercise next weekend during which a C-130 will land and takeoff multiple times on Highway 63 at Bono. Yes, you read that right. A C-130 will land and take off multiple times on the five-lane Highway 63 at Bono.
“Originally we were told the event was to be secretive,” Bono Mayor Dan Shaw told JonesboroRightNow. “Somewhere along the line that went awry. Traffic (on 63) will be blocked and hopefully there won’t be 1,000 people lined up on the side of the highways in the fields to watch it.”
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported Sunday that the Air Force is planning Emerald Warrior 24 FTX II – the name of a training operation scheduled to take place next weekend, August 3 or 4, depending on the weather. According to the report the area around Bono is one of four areas that are being used as part of the training operation. Other operations will take place in Nevada, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Dan Maslowski, chief of staff for the 189th Airlift Wing, said Bono was chosen because the city is in an area that could be directly affected if the New Madrid fault were to suddenly produce a major earthquake. According to the Democrat-Gazette report the highway south of Bono is “an area where if there was an earthquake for the state of Arkansas,” it could be used to deliver supplies. “Bono has everything that meets the needs for a C-130H to land there,” Maslowski added. ‘There’s a straight stretch that is very straight and allows for at least 5,000 feet worth of landing strip.”
The report said Arkansas National Guard spokesperson John Oldham confirmed the primary date for the operation is next Sunday, with Saturday serving as a backup. During the operation Highway 63 traffic will be diverted through the city of Bono on Highway 63B.
Air Force spokesperson Master Sgt. Ryan Conroy said the Air Force is working “closely with local authorities and agencies at all training locations to ensure the exercise is conducted safely and with minimal disruption to the community.”
One such local authority is Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd. The Democrat-Gazette report said Boyd indicated there is a meeting planned for this Wednesday for final planning. Boyd says when he learned about what the Air Force had in mind for the town of Bono six months ago “it was a little shocking.” Boyd said he plans to have four to five deputies who “will be coordinating traffic flow, blocking off and detouring traffic around Highway 63.”
“Landing on a highway (as part of an exercise) has only happened at one other place in the United States,” Shaw said. “All I can figure is they have heard what a special place Bono is!”
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette story by Daniel McFadin