NOAA Emergency Alert Radios: A Simple Investment That Could Save Your Life

Whenever we think about storm supplies, we usually think about batteries, flashlights, or canned food. But there's at least one item that is sometimes overlooked- the NOAA Emergency Alert Radio.

It's important to remember that severe weather can occur at any time of the day or night. Too often, we see stories of people who were sound asleep when tornado warnings were issued. Even if an official warning is issued far in advance of an approaching storm, the warning is useless without someone to hear it. That's where the NOAA Emergency Alert Radio comes in.

These radios broadcast the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards(NWR) network- a network designed to keep you informed of impending dangers by automatically triggering a special alarm whenever a weather warning is issued. For example, let's say that you are standing in your kitchen washing dishes when a tornado warning is issued for your county. Unless you have the television on, you may never even know that a dangerous storm is on the way. However, if you have a NOAA Emergency Alert radio in your home, it would automatically sound the alarm as soon as the warning is issued.

NOAA Emergency alert radios are widely available. You can often find them at the same stores that sell smoke detectors, and they are just as important. These radios are also quite affordable- a basic NOAA alert radio can retail for under $30.00. Of course, there are many higher priced models available with advanced features. These radios come in all shapes and sizes depending on your preferences, but most important of all- they can save your life.

-Meteorologist Jerry Jackson jjackson@wwaytv3.com

(Jerry Jackson is an AMS Certified Meteorologist on WWAY's Good Morning Carolina, starting at 5:00 AM weekday mornings)

For more information on NOAA Emergency Alert Radios, visit http://www.weather.gov/nwr/