NEW ALBANY, Ind — A vital tool when it comes to staying safe during weather events is a weather radio.
The radios typically play a loud siren to alert people of danger.
Duke Energy is hoping to help adapt these radios for the deaf and hard of hearing.
The company has awarded Floyd County Emergency Management $3,000 to help add adapters to the radios.
The adapters will vibrate and have flashing lights to visually alert those who are hard of hearing about incoming weather events.
“We've programmed these up for five counties, starting from the west to the east. So as the storm comes from the West, which generally is where our storms come from, then those start alerting the residents that there's severe weather coming,” Kent Barrow, EMA director, said.
Gov. Andy Beshear recently helped provide a similar grant for Kentuckians.
The grant backed the Moore Safe Nights program which helps distribute the radios at no cost.
The program is named for Virginia Moore, Beshear’s longtime sign language interpreter who passed away in 2023.
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