USDA Awards Grants to Bring Early Warning Broadcasts to Rural America
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has announced the award of more than $415,000 in grants for Weather Radio Transmitters to extend the coverage of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) early warning system to seven rural communities.
The NWR is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting 24 hours a day from National Weather Service offices to alert people of approaching dangerous weather and other emergencies, including natural, environmental, and public safety alerts. Thousands of people die or lose property annually because they did not know soon enough about hazards, disasters, or emergencies.
The NWR covers all major metropolitan areas and many smaller cities and towns. The Weather Radio Transmitter grant program helps provide coverage to those rural areas that do not have NWR coverage or are poorly covered.
The grants are funded using residual funds from grant projects that were completed under budget. Today’s award brings to 91 the total number of grants awarded to electric and telecommunications cooperatives, nonprofit groups, and state and local governments covering 100 sites in 26 states and Puerto Rico. The recipients of the seven Weather Radio Transmitter grants are:
–City of Nenana, Alaska: $39,438
–Consolidated Telcom, North Dakota: $54,767
–Custer Public Power District, Nebraska: $59,600
–Virginia, Dept. of Emergency Management, Halifax County: $69,600
–Virginia, Dept. of Emergency Management, Wythe County: $48,800
–Gogebic County Office of Emergency Services, Michigan: $71,642
–Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative, Tennessee, Wayne County: $72,000
