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Weather radios go silent [St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.](St. Joseph News-Press (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 28--It was nothing but static for those who turned on their NOAA weather radios during severe thunderstorms Monday in Northwest Missouri. "The NOAA weather transmitter went off the air," according to the National Weather Service Kansas City/Pleasant Hill's Facebook page. Technicians were able to resolve the issues and had service restored early Tuesday morning, just in time for impending storms the rest of the week. The weather service shows another storm front will move into the area Wednesday, bringing with it a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms in the evening. While weather radios should be up and running now, residents have options to get severe weather alerts. Smart phone owners are able to download a free app by the American Red Cross that gives out alerts and other notifications, said Brenda Kirkland, director of operations with the Midland Empire Chapter of the American Red Cross. "You can set it up so when something is happening, and you're asleep, it alerts you," said Bill Brinton with Buchanan County Emergency Services. Mr. Brinton has even invested in another option, Weather Call. For a $10 annual fee, this system will call up to five different phone numbers with notifications. During Monday's storm, he said his home phone, cell phone and wife's cell phone were all ringing to alert him of the tornado warning issued for Buchanan County. Like the American Red Cross app, Weather Call, Weatherbug and On Guard Weather give members an alert when the weather affects them. "The radios go off all the time," Mr. Brinton said of NOAA weather radios. "The part I like is when you put in your address they notify you right away when your house falls in that polygon. It's very slick." Jennifer Hall can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPHall. ___ (c)2013 the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.) Visit the St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph, Mo.) at www.newspressnow.com/index.html Distributed by MCT Information Services |