To Mandate Weather Radio's or not?

There is a debate on going in my community about Indiana's decision to mandate weather radio's for new construction of mobile homes.

Now as of 30 October 2007 the US House passed a bill as well.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

UPDATED: 4:46 PM

House passes emergency weather radio bill

WASHINGTON — New manufactured homes would have to be equipped with emergency weather radios to try to prevent tornado and flood deaths under a bill passed today by the House.

Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., introduced the legislation at the behest of Kathryn Martin, whose 2-year-old son, C.J., was killed when a tornado ripped through the Indiana trailer park where the family lived in 2005.

People living in mobile homes face 10 times the risk of dying when a tornado hits than those in other housing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tornadoes kill about 80 Americans a year, the agency said.

“This will save lives,” said Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala. “We have a shot of significantly reducing over half the deaths from tornadoes.”

The legislation would require NOAA radios to be installed in manufactured homes, where about 20 million Americans live.

The bill still must pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Bush.

The legislation leaves it up to the Department of Housing and Urban Development to set regulations on these radios, including a start date. The radios are expected to cost between $20 and $80. (end)

The State of Indiana has already passed legislation to this effect. The question is should the US Congress now be mandating weather radios HR 2787 in new construction for manufactured homes?

On the surface it sounds good. But what happened to better construction or settings for mobile homes? Preparedness? Shelters? Which are sorely needed in mobile parks! Education of the public? Is this feel good legislation on the cheap? Or is this a good first step?

Tell me what you think? Take our poll!

How about farms houses?



Weather Note

Hurricane Noel few up the East Coast. NYC escaped but Eastern Long Island saw the most severe weather in the area, with wind gusts topping out at 70 mph and two inches of rain reported in some parts.

The storm battered the New England coast on Saturday with winds gusting up to 71 miles per hour and heavy rain. About 25,000 homes and businesses had lost power by late afternoon, with forecasters expecting the "Nor'easter" storm to reach its peak strength around 8 p.m.

Halifax? The storm brought winds as high as 113 kilometres an hour with gusts up to 135 kilometres an hour as it roared into Halifax Harbour. Power outages occurred from along the south and eastern shores of Nova Scotia and up into Cape Breton, with out 50,000 customers cut off in the Halifax Regional Municipality alone.

By late Sunday evening, Nova Scotia Power reported having restored power to more than 100,000 customers, but said an estimated 64,000 were still without electricity and some may not get it back until late Monday.

RS