The City of McNab is a community-based organization dedicated to providing essential services and maintaining local infrastructure for residents of McNab, Arkansas. Incorporated in 1909, McNab is a small community of about 40 people in Hempstead County. A majority low-income community of color, McNab is designated as an EPA Disadvantaged Community under the Inflation Reduction Act. McNab is highly flood-prone, and residents have been increasingly threatened by stormwater flooding in their neighborhoods. These flood events are being exacerbated by climate change and compounded by the community’s outdated sewer and stormwater systems. To address these challenges, the City hosts town hall meetings for residents to voice their concerns, collaborates with researchers on flood-mapping assessments, and equips residents with the knowledge and tools they need to build resilience against flooding. “Anything that we can do to help our city, we’re willing,” says Shelia Jackson, the mayor of McNab.
Flooding in Hempstead County, Arkansas, in July 2023. Photo: National Weather Service (public domain)
A woman-of-color-led organization of about a dozen volunteers, the City of McNab is a citizen-centered group working to build a safer, stronger, and more resilient community. In collaboration with AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange, the City is currently recruiting scientists to collect historical and current data on flood risks and stormwater runoff in the McNab area, create a flood-risk StoryMap for residents, and develop affordable, actionable, nature-based solutions the community can implement to build resilience against flooding. “Flooding is our biggest focus right now,” says Jackson, but the City is also engaged in other projects to revitalize the community. In 2023, the City secured a $79,000 grant to repair the community’s walking trail, expanding residents’ access to the outdoors. That same year, the City established McNab City Park, home to a community center where residents gather for birthday parties, anniversaries, and the annual Twin Rivers Festival, which celebrates McNab’s unique cultural heritage.
The Red River flows near McNab, Arkansas. Photo: Steve Snodgrass/Wikimedia Commons