STAYING WEATHER ALERT: PRODUCTS FOR BLIND, DEAF, AND HARD-OF-HEARING

In the early evening of April 26, 1991 a ferocious F5 tornado tore through the Golden Spur Trailer Park in Andover, Kansas.  An Andover police officer drove through the streets, siren blaring, to alert residents to get to the storm shelter.  More than 200 mobile home residents heard that warning, left their trailers, huddled in the community’s underground shelter…and survived.

Denise Peterson was not that lucky.  The 28-year-old was hard-of-hearing.  She had just gotten home from a long day’s work and it’s possible she had removed her hearing aids to relax and unwind.  She was one of thirteen residents who died in Golden Spur.

People who are blind, deaf or hard-of-hearing live a riskier life than most people do.  Because they have difficulty receiving alerts and warnings, they are at significantly higher risk of death or injury when disaster strikes.

For starters, every blind, deaf, or hard-of-hearing individual should have a NOAA Weather Radio. The 80 decibel alert tone should get their attention.

For extra alerting, add on an external strobe light and pillow shaker.  This creates a multi-level alerting system that can save lives. The bright white STR180 strobe flashes when the National Weather Service issues a watch or warning for your county.  Likewise, the SHKR100 pillow shaker delivers a tactile buzz.  Both can be plugged into the WR400 radio’s “external alert” port using a simple ”Y” cable.

If you, a family member, or a neighbor who is deaf or hard-of-hearing, give them a gift that can save their life: a NOAA Weather Radio and the Midland SBNDL Bundle Kit, pictured above.  With a strobe, pillow shaker, and accessories, they’ll have all the items they need to sleep better at night.  Peace of mind is your best protection.