Jo Ann Emerson - Missouri's 8th Congressional District
Saturday, September 30, 2006
 
Weekly Column
 
EMERSON RADIO ADDRESS: Sirens to Warn Us
“Earthquakes are always lurking in the back of our minds in Southern Missouri, but it is tornadoes that strike year after year.
 
The swath of destruction left in the wake of a tornado can be narrow and minimal.  Sometimes the tornado never even touches the ground.  Storm chasers follow alongside the twister, taking pictures and tracking its windspeed and radar image with sophisticated equipment.  You might think they were having fun, if you hadn’t witnessed the exceptions to the smaller storms.
 
Pemiscot County, Perry County and, most recently, Phelps County, know what the rare tornado can do to a car, a home, or a life.  And we all know in Southern Missouri that none of us is immune.
 
A severe storm can rip an entire town up by the roots and pull the heart right out of a community.  The millions of dollars in damage from a severe storm can only be exceeded by a cost measured in heartache.
 
In the hours, days, weeks, months and years after the tornados that have ripped through our communities this year, every ounce of support we can give is important.  To that end, I was extremely pleased this week to see several grant announcements from the USDA Office of Rural Development.
 
These nine grants will be used to purchase and install early warning sirens for weather emergencies across our district.  Many of these communities do not have warning sirens now.  Ranging in amounts from $10,000 to $40,000, Rural Development grants for the sirens take on a significant share of a city or county’s cost burden.  Without this federal help, it is fair to say that many residents would be left in the dark, unaware if they were in the path of a severe storm or a tornado.
 
In Willow Springs and Wyatt, and other communities across our region, Rural Development is taking on this acute need in the name of public safety.  Along with these grants for early warning sirens, Rural Development is issuing grants to help purchase new police vehicles, investing in justice centers, medical facilities, and economic opportunities for the citizens of rural Missouri.  For a truly unique program with a variety of charges, the local officials who work hand-in-hand with the representatives of Rural Development are identifying opportunities for investments and improvements.  Life in Southern Missouri is better for it.
 
As past co-chair of the Rural Caucus in the House of Representatives, I am particularly glad to support the mission of USDA Rural Development.  In my travels throughout our congressional district, I see many ways to provide a solid return on our federal tax dollars.  Flood protection and road projects are big undertakings.  There are small projects, too, like the early warning sirens, which make a huge difference.  The awareness and hard work of local leaders and concerned citizens are key to these initiatives.
 
I am glad to point out an example of government working well, and working for us.  I hope that one of these sirens is going up in a community near you, and making severe weather a little less worrisome for you and your family.
 
If one is not, and your community has a need, be assured that Rural Development is looking out for you.  I will be doing my part in Congress to see that my colleagues are looking out for USDA Rural Development.  By keeping our representation of rural America strong, we can assure there will always be sirens to warn us.”

 

 These are the addresses of the various Emerson offices

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