| expensive NOAA Weather Radio Can Give You | | | | warning being sent and the denotes the specific |
| The Time To Seek Safety. | | | | geographic location the event affects. SAME |
| Shortly before sunrise on November 16 an F3 | | | | allows you to filter out distant warning broadcasts |
| tornado ripped through the tiny community of | | | | and monitor only those messages intended for |
| Riegelwood, NC. Within seconds 8 people were | | | | your local area. For example if you live in a coastal |
| dead and 20 more were seriously injured. Among | | | | county but not right on the beach, you may not |
| the dead were 4 children under the age of 12. | | | | be interested in a Coastal Flood Warning. |
| The tornado struck at a bad time. Most of the | | | | SAME technology is also the primary trigger for |
| residents were still asleep or just beginning their | | | | activating the Emergency Alert System used by |
| day. There was little warning. The National | | | | commercial radio, television and cable TV outlets. |
| Weather Service office in Wilmington, NC issued a | | | | Each county in the U.S. is assigned a 6-digit code |
| tornado warning at 6:29 am. Eight minutes later | | | | by the NWS. This code can be easily programmed |
| the tornado touched down. | | | | into the radio (Detailed instructions for your area |
| Severe Weather Can Strike At Any Time | | | | are included with the radio.). Once the code is set |
| Severe weather like tornadoes and | | | | the radio responds only to alerts issued for the |
| thunderstorms can strike with little warning. They | | | | area programmed. If you move, the radio can be |
| develop very quickly and their lifespan is relatively | | | | reprogrammed for your new location. |
| short. But during their brief time tornadoes bring | | | | Depending on the model you choose, further |
| terrible destruction, injury and loss of life. Other | | | | programming can be done to minimize false |
| weather-related events like flash flooding and | | | | alarms or to include neighboring counties in your |
| lightning can put many lives in jeopardy. | | | | alert area. This is important for those who live |
| While we currently don't have technology to | | | | near county borders. |
| control the weather, we do have technology in | | | | SAME radios are available in desktop and portable |
| place that can warn us to approaching severe | | | | models. Portable radios allow you to take the |
| weather and give us enough time to seek safety. | | | | radio with you wherever you go and they can be |
| Weather Warnings by Radio | | | | reprogrammed to work when you're on vacation |
| NOAA Weather Radio is perhaps one of the best | | | | or on the road. If you work outside or participate |
| kept secrets in the United States. Many of us are | | | | in outdoor activities a portable unit can alert you |
| unaware that the National Weather Service | | | | to unknown weather dangers wherever you |
| operates nearly 1,000 radio transmitters | | | | happen to be. |
| throughout the country. The transmitters are in | | | | For desktop models, a battery backup feature is |
| operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | | | | important. Having the option to operate |
| continuously streaming current weather conditions, | | | | independent of commercial power will keep the |
| forecasts, warnings, and other crucial weather | | | | receiver armed and working even if the power |
| information. | | | | fails. |
| NOAA Weather Radio advises people of severe | | | | Weather Radio has evolved over the years to |
| weather watches and warnings, buying extra time | | | | broadcast non-weather emergency information |
| for people to react before dangerous storms hit | | | | making the system an "All Hazards" network. |
| their area. When you're in the path of something | | | | Information of events such as chemical spills, |
| like a tornado, seconds can mean the difference | | | | earthquakes, and even terrorist attack are |
| between life and death. | | | | broadcast if the need arises. |
| However, a special kind of radio receiver is | | | | While we cannot recommend any specific brand |
| needed that is capable of receiving the alerts. | | | | of receiver, we do recommend that the radio |
| Special NOAA Weather Radios are available in | | | | you consider buying comes with the Public Alert |
| electronics stores, sporting goods stores, marine | | | | logo. The Public Alert Standard was adopted by |
| supply stores, and on the Web. They are | | | | the Consumer Electronics Association in |
| inexpensive (starting at about $30.00) and | | | | conjunction with the National Weather Service. |
| programmable for a specific area. NOAA Weather | | | | Radios that carry the Public Alert logo meet |
| Radio receivers are built to utilize the features of | | | | specific technical standards and include the |
| NOAA Weather Radio. | | | | features we mention here. |
| Each advisory, watch, or warning transmitted by | | | | We have smoke detectors in our homes that |
| NWS is preceded by a special alert tone. When | | | | alert us to fire. We have carbon monoxide |
| the radio detects the tones transmitted by the | | | | detectors that alert us to potential deadly gasses |
| NWS, it activates itself. Weather Radios respond | | | | from our furnaces/fireplaces/gas heaters. An |
| to the alert tones by activating a built-in audio or | | | | NOAA Weather Radio should be included in your |
| visual alarm. The alarm feature is especially useful | | | | arsenal of weapons to safeguard against severe |
| for warnings that are issued during the night when | | | | and deadly weather events. Early warnings of |
| most people are asleep. | | | | severe weather can give you just enough time to |
| SAME Technology | | | | take cover. |
| The best Weather Radios use SAME (Specific | | | | Consider purchasing NOAA Weather Radios as |
| Area Message Encoding)technology. SAME uses a | | | | gifts this holiday season. It could save the lives of |
| series of digital tones that identifies the type of | | | | those you love. |