Mobile home residents more prepared for weather emergencies

Over the past two months, more than 1100 residents of mobile home communities in Lexington have received NOAA All-Hazard Weather Radios and emergency preparedness information. The radios were set to receive alerts from the National Weather Service for Fayette County.

“Being aware of threatening weather and other potential disasters is the first step for community preparedness,” said Patricia Dugger, director of Lexington’s Division of Emergency Management. “A working NOAA All-Hazards weather radio provides the current forecasts, plus information about future severe weather systems, watches, and warnings.”

Funding for the radios came from a FEMA mitigation grant, with additional funding from Kentucky Emergency Management and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. The radios were purchased through a special emergency management program with the Midland Radio Corporation, which provided discounted pricing and backup batteries for the devices.

Lexington Emergency Management staff and volunteers set up the radios to receive Fayette County warnings. Then they assembled a tote bag that included the radio, a set of backup batteries, a small first aid kit or flashlight, and materials on the most common local threats and how to be prepared for emergencies. With the cooperation of the local mobile home community owners, the bags were individually distributed to each occupied trailer in each neighborhood.

“We were pleased that residents in the mobile home communities welcomed this outreach activity,” said Tim Brandewie, operations manager for emergency management. “They were universally thankful for the radios that will provide them with the latest weather forecast information and immediate access to weather alerts and severe weather watches and warnings.”

More information about severe weather preparedness is available via the Lexington Emergency Management Facebook page: @LexingtonKYEM, the Division of Emergency Management Twitter and Instagram accounts: @Lexkyem, and the agency website, BeReadyLexington.com.