Spring is here; time to prep for nasty weather

Blytheville Fire Chief Mike Carney wants to remind the public that the spring storm season is here, and there are multiple ways to ensure ample warning in the event of severe weather.

"There's no reason not to have enough warning," he said. "You can't rely wholly on the sirens -- people need to take that responsibility upon themselves. There are several cell phone services, some will even call you. The key thing is that there are lots of very inexpensive, and some even free, tools to get warning."

Free text alerts are available through several area TV news websites, as well as The Weather Channel.

In addition to those services, Carney said the Blytheville Fire Department is again providing free weather radios to citizens who qualify for their giveaway program -- which would first target low income senior citizens who live alone. The weather radios will give an alert in the event of severe weather, and have backup batteries in case of power outage.

To request a radio or get more information about the program, contact the Blytheville Fire Department at 870-532-5006. Office hours at this number are from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

sharris@blythevillecourier.com