Shawn Jackson Named State NFIP Coordinator and  State Climatologist 

Shawn Jackson is the State NFIP Coordinator and Climatologist. As State NFIP Coordinator, she works directly with local governments, other state, and federal agencies, and the public on floodplain management. Ms. Jackson works with local Arkansas communities to identify and implement strategies that support floodplain management while mitigating risk from flood events for Arkansas residents. She regularly coordinates with state and federal agencies about flood-related issues and provides post-disaster assistance during presidentially declared disasters. 

As State Climatologist, Shawn focuses on the strategic use of surface and groundwater resources to better support increases in irrigated land, population growth, and economic expansion. Her aim is to provide a high standard of climate information to the public; advance quality data for natural resources, education, and research applications; and expand the knowledge of climate information across Arkansas.

Following successful completion of both a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Shawn joined USDA-NRCS in the Soil Science – MLRA Soil Survey and GIS/NRI team for the MO-16 regional office located in Little Rock as a cartographer. 

In 2006 she joined ANRC as the Floodplain Management Specialist, responsible for state accreditation and database management. She also developed economical and practical means in providing new floodplain information to communities in Arkansas and was instrumental in assisting Arkansas communities with the administration of their National Flood Insurance Programs through Community Assistance Visits. In 2011, she moved to the Non-Riparian Water Use program within the State Water Planning Section at ANRC and for 11 years focused on excess surface water permitting while also serving on environmental and engineering committees for the Red River Compact and Arkansas – Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact.

During her time at ANRC she has served on the AFMA Board as Treasurer and the Central Region Representative, earned her Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) Certification, and completed a Master’s Degree in Geospatial Survey Engineering from Texas A&M–Corpus Christi.

Click here to learn more about the weather and the climate of Arkansas.

National Weather Service, Little Rock office 
Mean annual, seasonal, and monthly precipitation and runoff in AR (1951 - 2011)
Rainfall frequency
Real-time streamflow data
Arkansas Air Quality

Would you like to get involved with helping collect information to help us understand more about Arkansas rainfall?  If so, please volunteer to assist  Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).