Two new grants will expand weather radio alerting coverage areas in parts of Virginia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the state $188,400 to buy and install additional transmitters, antennae and generators in the southern counties of Halifax and Wythe counties.
Grants for similar projects went to Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota and Tennessee.
The NOAA Weather Radio network airs weather watches and warnings, safety alerts and EAS. The grants help provide coverage in rural areas.
“These alerts are vital to saving lives when quick action is necessary,” according to Phil Hysell, warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS in Blacksburg, Va.
The grants are funded using residual funds from grant projects that were completed under budget.