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NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. The NOAAWeather Radio network has more than 750 stations in the 50 states and near adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and U.S. Pacific Territories.
Seconds Save Lives!
Weather radios equipped with a special alarm tone feature can sound an alert and give you immediate information about a life-threatening situation. During an emergency, National Weather Service forecasters will interrupt routine weather radio programming and send out the special tone that activates weather radios in the listening area. What's the weather?
NOAA Weather Radio is not just for emergencies. It is a round-the-clock source of weather reports and information to help you prepare for the day ahead. Each National Weather Service office tailors its broadcast to suit local needs. Routine programming is repeated every few minutes and consists of the local forecast, regional conditions and marine forecasts. Additional information, including river stages and climatic data is also provided.
Who Needs NOAA Weather Radio?
Public safety experts agree: the receivers should be standard equipment in every home. They are especially valuable in places that are entrusted with public safety, including hospitals, schools, places of worship, nursing homes, restaurants, grocery stores, recreation centers, office buildings, sports facilities, theaters, retail stores, bus and train stations, airports, marinas and other public gathering places.
NOAA Weather Radio ... Improving For the Future
Implementation of additional NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) transmitters will continue to expand the nationwide network coverage. New digital technology (termed "SAME" - Specific Area Message Encoding) now allows lifesaving messages to be targeted to a specific area, like a county or portion of a state. Weather radios come in many sizes and with a variety of functions and costs. Most NWR receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup, so they can be used in the absence of commercial electric power.
Where Can I Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio?
Radio Shack, Radio Hospital, or just about any electronic reseller. You can also purchase them on the web. Do a search on Google, Dogpile, or Mamma for "SAME Radio NOAA sales". Typically you can find radios in the $39.00 to $99.00 range, depending on features and quality.
What are the frequencies of NOAA Weather Radio?
NWR Transmitter Call Freq mHz Power N.W.S. Office Angola IN KXI94 162.425 1 kw North Webster IN Carey OH KZZ47 162.525 .3 kw Cleveland OH Dayton OH WXJ46 162.475 1 kw Cincinnati OH Detroit MI KEC63 162.550 .33 kw Detroit MI Flint MI KIH29 162.475 1 kw Detroit MI Fort Wayne IN WXJ58 162.550 1 kw North Webster IN Lima OH WXJ93 162.400 1 kw Cincinnati OH North Webster IN WWG45 162.500 .3 kw North Webster IN Mansfield OH WWG57 162.450 .3 kw Cleveland OH Toledo OH WXL51 162.550 .1 kw Cleveland OH
Programming the radio
If you are using a weather radio with NWR SAME technology, the radio will normally be silent until a weather event is transmitted. Your radio knows what counties to alert you for by FIPS Codes. The FIPS code is a six digit number. For example, the code for Allen County, OH, is 039003.
The code(s) are programmed into the radio, and it responds to your codes, while ignoring alerts from other areas. You can program a radio for a specific county (i.e.: Allen OH), or for a group of counties (i.e.: Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Hancock, Putnam, and Van Wert).
What if I Have Additional Questions?
Check with electronics stores, call your local National Weather Service office, or check out the following Web site: www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr. This Web site contains information on NOAAWeather Radio coverage areas, station listings, SAME coding, receiver and vendor information, auto- mated voices, all hazards concept, the Emergency Alert System, general information, and much more.