A grant worth $90,000 has been awarded to Curry County, Oregon, to repair and upgrade a cell tower in Bosley which was struck by lightning last month.
As reported by local news outlet Kobi5, the Bosley tower was struck by lightning on March 10.
Money for the repairs comes from unused funds reallocated from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s 2021 grant cycle.
The financial support has been secured following the county’s emergency management team and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management agreeing to put forward almost all of the money after it was estimated that the damage to the tower totals close to $97,000 in repairs.
After the tower was severely damaged, communications to South Curry County were impacted, specifically impacting public safety and emergency response operations.
Since the incident, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office has been utilizing a cell phone communication application, reports the publication, though only temporarily.
The tower appears to be operated by tower company Day Wireless, at its Bosley Butte site, which has a height of 102 feet.
According to its website, Day Wireless also operates cell towers in California, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah.
Earlier this month, two radio towers were knocked down by 90mph winds near Charleston, West Virginia, following heavy storms.