Tuesday, April 13, 1999
Weather radios not easy to find
Weather radios are still in short supply after Friday's predawn tornado. .
Radio Shack, Circuit City and Best Buy stores in Greater Cincinnati sold out of the popular programmable type of weather radio hours after the storm struck. The Nature Co. said its Tower Place Mall store downtown still had a few portable versions in stock.
Radio Shack got another 800 in over the weekend from the company's Columbus distribution center but was out again by Monday morning, said Tony Magoulas, a spokesman for the Fort Worth, Texas-based chain.
“It's not uncommon when there's bad weather,” Mr. Magoulas said.
The National Weather Service promoted the technology so heavily after a surprise tornado in Florida last February that Radio Shack sold out nationally.
“It was amazing,” Mr. Magoulas said. “We sold out of a year's worth of radios in six weeks.”
Weather radios are designed to tune into a National Weather Service broadcast on a frequency that regular radios can't pick up. Laurie Bauer, a spokeswoman for Best Buy, said the company also sold out of its weather radios Friday.
“We are rushing more product to the stores in the area,” she said. “We should have (them) there by the end of the week.”
Treasures recovered in debris
Tristate tallies financial losses
Tornado renews debate about communications system
Some see '99 as a peak year for tornadoes
Weather radios not easy to find
Hundreds of insurance claims filed
Businesses not reopening as swiftly as hoped
Long shopping list for family that lost house, clothes
Road & school closings; curfews
Two victims remembered; 2 buried today
Forest teaches lessons anew
Government tries to get back to normal
Synagogue lends hand to church
Mail delivery interrupted
Sycamore moves some games to opponents' fields
Tax deadline extended for victims
Warren County sets up hot line
