(L - R) San Angelo Forecaster Carl Wright, HEB General Manager Brenda Crabb and San Angelo Warning Coordination Meteorologist Hector Guerrero (Photo: WFO San Angelo)
(Dec. 6, 2011) - The National Weather Service forecast office in San Angelo, Texas has recognized a local grocery store and two San Angelo television stations with a Mark Trail award. Warning Coordination Meteorologist Hector Guerrero and Forecaster Carl Wright presented the award to San Angelo HEB grocery store and KSAN-TV and KLST-TV on Nov. 30.
As the result of a joint promotion campaign with the television stations, the store sold nearly 3,000 NOAA Weather Radios between 2007 and 2011 and trained employees to program them for their customers.
Jack Elrod, writer and illustrator of Mark Trail, and King Features Syndicate have been strong advocates for publicizing severe weather safety through the use of the radios.
In recent years, the strip's education message has included the fact that anyone listening to NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards has instant access to the same life-saving weather reports and all-hazards information provided to meteorologists, emergency personnel and the media.
"This outstanding preparedness campaign has greatly heightened NOAA Weather Radio and severe weather awareness in the region," said Guerrero.
"Jack Elrod and his alter ego, Mark Trail, have been great partners to the National Weather Service in helping to educate the public about the importance of owning this device," said Steve Lyons, meteorologist-in-charge of the San Angelo forecast office. "NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is the one tool that provides instantaneous information necessary to protect lives."
The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards program consists of a nationwide network of radio transmitters broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. The network broadcasts official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other civil emergency information 24 hours a day and includes more than 950 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Pacific Territories.
(L - R) WCM Hector Guerrero, KLST-TV News Director David Wagner, on air host Pat Attebery and Forecaster Carl Wright (Photo: WFO San Angelo)
