Hurricane supplies you'll need

There are some supplies and equipment that Rio Grande Valley residents should have on hand if they remain in their homes to ride out a storm.

Emergency planners and public safety officials urge residents to evacuate if a storm threatens the region. But those who live in a sturdy house that's not near the coast or in a flood-prone area, and decide to "shelter in place," can prepare themselves.

Among the items that Tim Speece, meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Brownsville, advises residents to have on hand is a large plastic tarp and a small, basic tool box.

The tarp can be used to cover a partially damaged roof until it can be repaired, and a hammer is necessary to replace a few shingles that might blow off a roof, Speece said.

Residents might consider purchasing a NOAA weather radio, he said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has radio frequencies that cover 90-95 percent of the United States, he said.

With transmitters in Brownsville, Pharr and Rio Grande City, these NOAA radios can receive weather information that's specific to the Rio Grande Valley.

Speece said that if a hurricane threatens the region, the Brownsville weather service office will transmit detailed storm information including the storm track and longer-range forecasts.

"We'll be generating a detailed outlook, with very localized reports, including tornado warnings ahead of and behind a hurricane," he said.

The weather service office in Brownsville will include in these broadcasts locations of flooded roads or downed trees that block other roads, and information on emergency shelters.

NOAA weather radios cost between $25 and $50, depending on features, he said. Some models include a hand-crank so that the radio can operate for up to 45 minutes without batteries, and a cell phone charging jack.

They are available electronic stores, sport goods stores, discount department stores, and online retailers.

These weather radios' use is not limited to hurricanes. They will receive any weather alerts, such as strong thunderstorms, and regular weather reports. They can pick up weather reports anywhere in the United States.