C.J.’s Law and Tornado Safety in Mobile Homes

Weather radios are now the law. Indiana Governor Mitchell Daniels signed into effect a new law mandating the installation of NOAA Weather Radios in all new or relocated manufactured housing within Indiana.

The law was penned as a result of the death of a two-year-old boy named C.J. Martin. C.J. was tragically killed in a sudden tornado outbreak which struck Eastbrook Mobile Home Park in Evansville, Indiana on November 6, 2005. Although it took over two years to come into effect, his mother Kathryn made a personal campaign for tornado safety.

The new law will provide a safer alert system for residents of manufactured home communities. C.J. was the inspiration for Kathryn as she, with the help of Representative Hoy, made the law a reality. NOAA will then honor Ms. Martin with a Mark Trail Award.

Twenty fatalities resulted from the terrible storm as residents only had a 13 minute warning to seek reasonable shelter from the coming storm. This lead time was actually fairly long, but many people were sleeping when the tornado touched down.

Don’t know how to choose a weather radio?

Visit this page which addresses the 10 best Weather Radios and Scanners. Included are links on how to buy a weather radio, what are the best features to look for in a weather radio, and how to set up the appropriate station identification for your area.

The All Hazards network from NOAA provides severe weather broadcasts as well as civil emergency messages including AMBER alerts for child abductions. A tone will sound preceding all messages even when a weather radio is in standby mode. As part of the Emergency Alert System, a nationwide network of over 975 transmitters are linked to local National Weather Service offices.