The experimental weather warning system that is coming to Morgan County on Nov. 1 has great potential. Keep your fingers crossed that Specific Area Message Encoding will work the way the National Weather Service envisions it will.

If it does, SAME will spare residents in the eastern part of the county from their weather radios awakening them during the night, if Decatur or some other region has bad weather.

SAME divides the county into five geographic regions based on weather patterns. The plan is to not disturb people in the regions the bad weather doesn't affect. But you must have a weather radio equipped with SAME.

Morgan County is one of three areas nationwide in the 3-month pilot program. The program's success can mean people take warnings more seriously because they will know with greater certainty if bad weather is close by.

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