By Stan Lehr
11/25/2009
East central Indiana has gained a new line of defense against severe weather.
Listen:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has installed a new 1,000-watt NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards transmitter near Muncie.
Alerts and forecasts will be broadcast to residents of seven counties--Delaware, Madison, Henry, Randolph, Jay, Blackford and Grant.
Warning Coordination Meteorologist Dave Tucek says the area had long been served by transmitters in Indianapolis and Marion, but the reception in those seven counties was spotty. Tucek says the location was also chosen because of "the need for nearby electricity...it makes for easy access and easy installation should there be need for repair."
The transmitter is attached to a radio tower owned by Ball State University.
Broadcasters air weather warnings and watches too, of course, but Tucek says, "Here in Indiana, a lot of our severe weather fatalities occur at night when people go to bed and normally don't have access to weather warning information." A NOAA Weather Radio sounds an alarm and it's battery-operated so you'll be awakened even if your home has lost power.
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