Missouri Approves Funding for Southeast Radar
Gov. Mike Kehoe approved funding for a new weather radar to be based in Van Buren, serving southeast Missouri.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Severe Weather
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Missouri officials approved funding for a new weather radar in southeast Missouri, to be installed in Van Buren within the 153rd House District. The radar will extend enhanced coverage across numerous counties from the Arkansas border up to near Farmington.
Why it matters
The push for the radar followed a string of deadly tornadoes that killed a half-dozen people in the district on March 14, 2025. Improved radar coverage across southeast Missouri aims to strengthen severe weather detection for communities in the region.
The radar will cover Phelps, Dent, Reynolds, Iron, Madison, Perry, and St. Francois counties within the Fox 2 viewing area. The bidding process has not begun, and long-term maintenance costs are being factored into it.
The players
Gov. Mike Kehoe
Governor of Missouri who approved the funding for the new southeast Missouri weather radar.
EWR Radar
Kirkwood-based company likely to be a contender in the bidding process for the radar project.
The details
Gov. Mike Kehoe approved the funding, and the project will go out to bid before a contractor is selected. The radar will be based in Van Buren, Missouri's 153rd House District, and maintenance costs are being accounted for in the bidding process.
Timeline
March 14, 2025: Deadly tornadoes killed a half-dozen people in the 153rd House District.
November 5, 2026: Funding announcement published.
March 2027: Earliest possible installation of the radar.
Seasonal Patterns
The radar funding responds directly to the March 14, 2025 tornadoes that killed six people in the 153rd House District, a precedent that prompted the state to expand detection coverage across southeast Missouri. Its coverage from the Arkansas border to near Farmington targets the same stretch of region where those storms struck.
Residents across southeast Missouri, from the Arkansas border to near Farmington, should expect improved radar coverage once the system is installed. Until then, follow local National Weather Service alerts and have a severe weather plan in place.
The takeaway
Improved radar coverage can give southeast Missouri communities more lead time before severe storms arrive, a lesson drawn from the deadly tornadoes of March 2025.
What happens next
The radar project will go out to bid in the near future, with installation possible as early as March 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Severe Weather coverage across Missouri.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fox2Now.
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