Proposal Would Give Public All-Hazards Radios

MADISON, Wis. -- Dane County is taking steps to make sure severe weather warnings reach all its residents with the help of all-hazards alert radios.

 

Severe weather coverage is limited in some rural areas, such as the Town of Perry, which is more than 15 miles from the nearest sirens in Blue Mounds and Mount Horeb.

 

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said she will sign off on a proposal to get people in limited coverage areas weather radio,

 

During tornado season, residents in the Town of Perry said that silence is an unwelcome reminder that no formal warning system is in place for this outlying area.

 

"These storms are scary and people want to be as informed as they can be," said Pat Downing, a Town of Perry resident and Dane County Board member.

 

Downing said that he began looking into the possibility of a tornado siren for the Town of Perry. But at $25,000 per siren, the county told him it wasn't possible. But he said the county offered another option -- radios that can tune into local and national warnings.

 

Falk said that she supports the idea because warnings are critical to the area.

 

"This, we hope, will help anyone who feels they are out of reach of a siren," Falk said. "Dane County, over the last 25 years, has suffered more tornadoes than any other county in the state."

 

The weather radios can be purchased at area stores like Radioshack.

 

"It will have the most up to date information immediately," said Dan Murphy, manager at Radioshack.

 

But the proposal would have the county take orders for the radios, purchase them in bulk and then resell them to interested citizens at a reduced rate.

 

"You want to make sure that every person, in every corner of the county, can get as much advanced notice," Falk said.

 

Downing said that the radios might be more effective than sirens.

 

"Sirens simply give you a warning and you wonder, 'Gee what is it?' Whereas the radio will tell you just what's going on," Downing said.

 

The proposal will save residents more than $40 per radio. A county committee will review the plan on Monday with a vote from the County Board expected in two weeks.

 

Next week marks tornado and severe weather awareness week in Wisconsin. The statewide tornado drill will be held on April 12, unless there is actually severe whether, in which case the drill will be rescheduled.

 

People in the WISC-TV viewing area can listen for the sirens Thursday at 1:20 and 1:30 p.m.