Michael Strickland wrote:
On 4 Jan 2007 15:02:42 -0800, dpb wrote:

....
If local weather and storm info is your primary concern, I'd suggest that you
purchase a weather radio that you can program for your local area. ...

Yes, good and valid point and we have that, too. Is of most use for
spring/summer weather (the tornado threat), of course. The tv weather
is a different kind of information -- it's more long range and planning
as opposed to the instantaneous rapid response. They do break in much
more readily and follow severe weather outbreaks for regions under
severe t-storm/tornado warnings much more than in areas that aren't so
prone, though. That is an advantage of the repeaters,
actually--Wichita itself can go on regular programming while Dodge
and/or Garden can make their decision.

I don't know how good NWS coverage is in KS (I'm in GA and coverage is very
good), but considering how common severe weather is in that part of the
country, I'd think it would be good.

We're in an area still reasonably populated (by farther west standards,
anyway) and so NWS coverage is pretty good. Owing to the severe
weather threat in spring and summer, that portion is really quite good
(we're roughly equidistant from Wichita as we are to Norman, OK, the
center of the Severe Weather operations). And, given that the area is
so heavily agricultural in nature, when you get away from the
city-casts targeted to Wichita itself, they're really pretty good in
providing the kind of information farmers and ranchers need. For
Wichita itself, it's pretty much the same as it was in Knoxville, TN --
they're only interested in whether it's going to rain on the weekend or
not.

As for storm protection, the house has full basement w/ poured concrete
walls and heavy flooring that serves the purpose. We keep it supplied
and retreat to it occasionally -- typically two-three times per year
for a short period, maybe; most generally when it's after dark and so
getting "snuck up on" unawares is more likely.