Public schools to get emergency radios | 09.26.2006 | 07:18:11 | Views: 4965 | ID: September 26 '06: Recent violent thunderstorms in the midwestern and southern states over the weekend were followed by an announcement that all public schools in the country, as well as tribal and territorial schools will receive emergency warning radios, the New York Daily News and the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Residents in several southern and midwestern states are cleaning up after severe thunderstorms tore through over the weekend, the AP reported. Cleanup efforts have been aided by declarations of emergency for eighteen counties and 12 cities while more than 13 people were killed after heavy winds and rains of up to 10 inches in 36 hours fell. "High water remained across Kentucky on Monday, and while some flood warnings were still in effect, creeks and rivers had nearly all crested, according to the National Weather Service," the AP continued. "The storms that hit parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee on Friday and Saturday stranded people in cars, forced others from their homes and left thousands without power." If storms, the likes of which seen over the weekend, were to hit during the school week, educators and public school officials would be able to be informed immediately of any danger with emergency radios which will be distributed to every public school in the country according to the Ohio Chronicle and Telegraph. The Chronicle and Telegraph reported that the Department of Homeland Security plans to spend $5 million to distribute the emergency radios to public schools. Originally designed for emergency weather information - the radios will transmit any emergency message including natural disasters, terrorist threats, amber alerts for children and "derailed trains carrying toxic materials." All states' schools, including tribal and US territory public schools will receive the radios. "Most can be programmed to respond only to warnings for a specific area - a county or city, for example," the Chronicle and Telegraph continued.
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