New Coachella Valley Weather Radio Station will Broadcast in Spanish on 162.525 MHz

Spanish Language Weather Alert System Launched

A new warning transmitter will aid residents of rural towns near the Salton Sea.

By JESSICA ZISKO / The Press-Enterprise 9/9/2004

The Coachella Valley climate may seem tame from afar, but meteorologists know it can be a dangerous place for unexpected weather. Sudden storms can devastate communities that usually get a few inches of rain per year.

A new weather transmitter will bring warnings closer to Spanish-speaking residents, many of whom live in the most dangerous areas of the desert - rural towns along the Salton Sea that stand in the path of rainfall rushing down from the Santa Rosa Mountains.

On a hilltop near the Cactus City rest area along Interstate 10 - 30 miles east of Indio - the transmitter broadcasts continuous forecasts and warnings in Spanish throughout the desert and into Imperial County.

Purchased and maintained by the Coachella Valley Water District, the $30,000 device is the second in the nation to broadcast Spanish-language forecasts and warnings. The first was installed earlier this year above El Paso, Texas.

The transmitter has been operating for a month, but will be officially dedicated at a ceremony Friday.

The goal is to protect residents in flood-prone areas who may not understand weather reports on English television or radio, or even information sent from the local English transmitter, said Jim Purpura, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in San Diego, which supplies the weather information. "It can be a lifesaver," he said.

The Spanish system will operate on a dedicated National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio frequency of 162.525 megahertz, which is not found on most home and car radios, but can be picked up on a special weather radio. The radios sell in electronics stores for at least $15.

For safety reasons, meteorologists say every household should have a radio, but that poses a problem for the district, which is targeting mostly low-income communities, said Patti Schwartz, the water district's assistant director of engineering.

The district plans to give away at least 50 radios in flood-prone areas this year and will team with regional Spanish-language television stations to advertise the importance of owning one. Many of the free radios will go to families in Oasis, an unincorporated agricultural community about 30 miles south of Coachella, where the majority of residents speak Spanish.

In 2000 and 2001, flash floods deluged the rural town.

Radios will also be placed in schools and businesses so that weather warnings can spread quickly.

The agency is seeking additional funding for flood-control measures in that area, which falls within the district's 1,000-square-mile boundary. Studies show they could cost up to $26 million, district spokeswoman Heather Boling said.

"When we have flooding out here, that little community has the least protection right now," Boling said.

The radios will include a warning system that sounds an alert during a life-threatening situation. In a year, the district will revisit families to see if the device has been helpful and if more should be purchased, Schwartz said.

There is no way now to track how many people use the weather radios, although the National Weather Service estimates that about 2 percent of Southern California residents tune to English transmitters, Purpura said.

Reaction to the Spanish transmitter in El Paso has been positive, said Bill Alexander, meteorologist in charge of the El Paso NWS office. Installed six months ago, it has already provided flash-flood and severe thunderstorm warnings for residents within a 40-mile radius. Weather radios have also been placed at schools and businesses.

"Just because you can't track it doesn't mean it isn't valuable," Purpura said.

The NOAA radio network has more than 900 English transmitters in the country, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters and outlying territories. The administration plans to install more Spanish transmitters in areas with a significant number of Spanish-speaking households.

Meteorologists expect the entire network to be an important lifesaver in the event of a terrorist attack, earthquake or chemical spill, since radios can alert people to a dangerous situation even in the middle of the night.

The Department of Homeland Security is working with the NOAA to expand those services, Purpura said.

Posted 9/9/2004