People in flood zones receive weather radios in Harlan County

HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) – Harlan County Emergency Management received a grant to distribute weather radios to people living in flood zones.

Harlan County Emergency Management set up the weather radios. If there is severe weather, the radio goes off and the owner is warned of a storm in the area.

“It’s more for human life, that’s what we’re focused on than it is for the property, but it gives them advance warning so they know,” said Stephen Lewis, director of Harlan County Emergency Management.

He said many people in the area have to live in floodplains because they don’t have much flat land to build on.

“People pretty much have to live on the floodplain in this area,” Lewis said.

Organizers used the Federal Floodplains Map to determine which areas would get the radios first. 62 radios were distributed on Friday.

Lewis said there would be an additional two days delivery time for other areas. A total of 384 radios will be given to people in Harlan County.