Early in the morning on November 16, 2006, a deadly F3 tornado touched down on the tiny community of Rieglewood, NC. When it was over, 8 people were dead, 20 injured, and 30 homes were destroyed or severely damaged.

The tornado ripped through an area about a half-mile wide and a mile long, according to news reports at the time. Homes in the tornado's path were completely devastated. Some of the dead were found 200 yards beyond the twister's path.

The tornado struck at a bad time - 6:37 in the morning catching many asleep, or just waking to begin their workday. Residents were caught off-guard and had little or no warning.

"There was no warning. There was no time," said Cissy Kennedy, a radiologist's assistant who lives in the area. "It just came out from nowhere."

According to records from the National Weather Service a severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 6:21 am. A tornado warning was issued a few minutes afterward at 6:29. Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said there was no time to warn residents.

Neither Rieglewood or Columbus County have tornado sirens.

The Rieglewood tornado serves to remind us that severe and deadly weather can strike at any time with little or no warning. Had residents been aware that a tornado was bearing down on them they may have had enough time to get to safety. Since no one received the warning, residents were unprepared and completely unaware.

A PERSONAL EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
Would an early warning saved lives when the tornado approached Rieglewood? No one knows for sure, but common sense tells us it would have.

One way people can protect themselves from approaching severe weather is with an NOAA Weather Radio. These special radio receivers pick up signals broadcast by the National Weather Service and can alert residents to impending weather threats.

In Southeastern North Carolina, the National Weather Service operates 5 transmitters that continually broadcast 24/7/365.

NOAA broadcasts weather warnings and provides for an automated alarm system to immediately notify residents of impending danger. The system sounds an alarm built into the radio that can awaken residents even at night. An early warning, even if it's just a few minutes, can allow you and your family just enough time to get to a safe place. That extra few minutes can make the difference between life and death.

NOAA Weather Radios are inexpensive (as low as $30) depending on the number of features a radio has. They can be purchased at electronics stores like Radio Shack or Circuit City. Several online retailers also offer the radios.

Weather radios have been around for quite some time. However, in the last several years many improvements have been added. One technological improvement, known as SAME Technology, helps prevent false alarms and only alerts you when severe weather warnings are issued for specific areas you program.

The network has also expanded since 9/11 to include such things as terrorist attacks, chemical spills, and other dangerous events where people need to be alerted to take action.

Unlike TV and radio stations or public warning systems where there can be a delay in getting a warning out to citizens, weather radios broadcast alerts right from the source. There is no delay or third party involved. And, unlike a television or radio, a weather radio remains silent until a warning is broadcast and trips the built-in alarm.

TOPSAILWEATHER.COM WEATHER RADIO GIVEAWAY
To help spread awareness of the life-saving capabilities of NOAA Weather Radio, TopsailWeather.com, a Topsail Island area weather information online resource, is sponsoring a contest that offers a Midland WR-100 All Hazards Weather Alert Radio as the grand prize.

This is the second time TopsailWeather.com has given away a weather radio. The first contest resulted in over 4,000 entries. A local resident from Holly Ridge win the first contest.

Contest entries will be accepted by logging on to www.topsailweather.com and clicking on the contest link on the right-hand side of the home page. There is no obligation to enter and no purchase necessary. The only requirement is that a participant must be at least 18 years old.