LEXINGTON, Ky. — Over the past two months, over 1,100 residents of mobile home communities in Lexington have received National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All-Hazard Weather Radios and emergency preparedness information. The radios are 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 Federal Emergency Management Agency 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. They also assembled a tote bag that included the radio, a set of backup batteries, a small first aid kit, a flashlight, and materials on emergency preparedness. The bags were distributed to mobile home residents.

“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.”