NOAA Weather Radios Explained

Phones are great for alerts until the battery dies, the cell towers go down, or you sleep through a notification. A NOAA Weather Radio is a cheap backup that can wake you up in the middle of the night when a tornado or severe storm warning is issued for your county.

01What it is

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a nationwide network of radio stations run by the National Weather Service. It broadcasts weather information 24 hours a day, plus warnings for severe weather and other hazards. It's free.

Weather radios receive these broadcasts on special frequencies that ordinary AM/FM radios can't pick up.

02Why it matters in the Midwest

• Tornado warnings at night. Many tornado deaths happen at night, when people are asleep. A weather radio with an alarm will sound when a warning is issued.
• Outdoor sirens are meant for people outdoors, not to wake you up inside.
• Cell networks can be overloaded or down in a big storm.

03Features to look for

1. SAME technology (Specific Area Message Encoding): you program your county code, and the radio only alarms for alerts in your area, not for counties 50 miles away.
2. Battery backup, so it works when the power goes out.
3. A loud alarm, and options for a strobe light or bed shaker for people who are hard of hearing.
4. Alert types you can choose, so it doesn't wake you for every advisory.

04Hand-crank and portable radios

Portable emergency radios often include NOAA weather bands, AM/FM, a hand crank, a small solar panel, a flashlight and a USB port for charging a phone. These are great for a go-bag or a long outage. Some don't have the automatic SAME alarm, so a home tabletop radio is still the best for overnight warnings.

05How to set it up

1. Find your county's SAME code on the National Weather Service website.
2. Find the strongest transmitter frequency for your area.
3. Program the radio and test it. NWS runs routine weekly tests.
4. Put it where you'll hear it at night, like the bedroom or hallway.
5. Check the batteries twice a year.

06Make a plan

A warning is only useful if you know what to do. Know where you'll shelter in a tornado (lowest floor, interior room, away from windows) and practice with the family. See 72-hour kit checklist and Midwest power outages.

A weather radio costs about as much as a tank of gas and can save your family's life. Every Midwest home should have one.

Sources (1)

National Weather Service: NOAA Weather Radio.

Photo: Emergency Planning and Security ^ Severe Storm ^ Tornado - Frankfort, Ky. , Marc by Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Public Aff, Public domain.