Western Kentucky is situated near the New Madrid Seismic Zone and is therefore likely to experience earthquakes.  Kentucky weather often results in tornadic ground track activity, damaging straight  line winds, flooding, and ice storms.

The Metcalfe County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences Education attended the Extension Disaster Preparedness Academy March 4 – 8 2024, at which I connected with Mrs. Janarae Conway the Disaster Preparedness and Response Coordinator for the Barren River District Health Department.  As a result of connecting at the academy, we planned to offer Disaster Preparedness outreach to our community through a series of Family Lifestyles, 27-minute television episodes.  Family Lifestyles is a weekly television program coordinated and hosted by the Metcalfe County FCS Extension Agent from 4/2022 – 4/2024, in the absence of the Allen County FCS Extension Agent, featuring Cooperative Extension and community focused educational programming.

Bi-monthly Disaster Preparedness episodes promoting the FEMA Disaster Preparedness and UK Extension Disaster Preparedness consumer awareness outreach materials, were recorded.  Four full episodes aired in June, August, October, and December 2024, covering these disaster preparedness topics: safeguarding/recovering important documents, FEMA – Guide to alerts/ warnings; food/water storage; tornado/earthquake preparedness; sheltering in place/sanitation; pet/livestock/human emergency supply kit preparation; disaster preparedness for the elderly/people with disabilities; cybersecurity; fire safety/prevention. 

Weekly episodes of Family Lifestyles air Wednesdays at 1:30 a.m., Thursdays at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.  Each episode results in 31,000 indirect contacts.  The Metcalfe County FCS Agent is often stopped in public by viewers who ask questions and provide feedback about the episode of the week, resulting in occasional direct contacts.  Feedback received in person has been 100% positive, and provides the opportunity to direct constituents to their County Extension offices, for related information and resources. WPBM broadcasts reach the following KY counties: Barren, Hart, Metcalfe, Edmonson, Larue, Green, Nelson, Allen, Monroe, Warren, Simpson, Cumberland, Clinton, and Butler via SCRTC, Mediacom, Xfinity, NCTC, and Electric Plant Board cable television providers.  WPBM is broadcast over the air on channel 31.1 and can be received with a rooftop antenna within a 45-mile radius of the tower near Barren River Lake State Park.  WPBM uploads episodes after they air onto the WPBM YouTube channel, where they are free for the public to share and access.