Glenn Heights is a step closer to getting a new emergency warning system.
The city about 20 minutes south of Dallas was granted $510,000 in federal Community Project Funding to help replace the current warning system, which is more than two decades old.
“We needed to bring it up to better standards just for the city of Glenn Heights and for our residents, our business owners,” Mayor Sonja Brown said.
Plans include replacing the six alarms throughout the 7-square-mile city and adding a seventh. The city also plans to create a weather station to help with future forecasts and alert residents more quickly in case of a weather emergency.
Glenn Heights was among the cities in North Texas that were hit by 12 tornadoes in December 2015, destroying more than 200 homes and leaving 13 people dead.
Dallas and Tarrant Counties are considered highly vulnerable counties for tornadoes in the country, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Weather Service.
Brown said public safety is one of the city’s top priorities to ensure residents have time to be prepared for natural disasters.
“When you realize the devastation that was caused, it just makes it even more important for us to really make enhancements to this system,” she said.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket presented the check to Glenn Heights at a ceremony on Wednesday. Brown said she expects to receive the money in October.
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.
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