Linn County weather radios could be down until mid-May

The weather radio transmitter that covers the Linn County area could be out of service until mid-May, according to the National Weather Service Quad Cities Office.

The transmitter had been having intermittent problems before it stopped working Saturday.

The Weather Service began the process in March to choose a contractor to fix the transmitter. Replacement parts have been ordered, but are on back order and might not arrive until mid-May, according to Ed Holicky, the meteorologist in charge of the Quad Cities office.

“We’re checking with all of our vendors to see if we can get parts in sooner, but, unfortunately, it is out of our hands,” Holicky said. “We’re trying every avenue possible to get the parts faster. These parts, I’m not sure how old they are, but they could be as old as when the transmitter was commissioned, which was in 1978.”

The office is using the outage to remind Linn County residents to get their weather information from multiple sources, so weather radio outages don’t interrupt their flow of information.

Eastern Iowa television stations and some radio stations provide severe weather alerts.

Linn County Emergency Management also noted residents who usually rely on weather radios can go online and create an account on Alert Iowa, an online system that sends text, email or call alerts for severe weather and other emergencies.

People also can visit cedar-rapids.org/emergency-preparedness/ for an overview on emergency preparedness, tips on common emergencies such as high winds and tornadoes and information on supply kits and safety plans, as well as emergency contacts.

After Tuesday’s severe weather in Eastern Iowa, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said her office is working with NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — to “pinpoint issues, ensure emergency management officials and first responders can communicate during severe weather, and guarantee Iowans have the information they need to stay safe.”

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