The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

A holiday gift to save your life, a NOAA weather radio





If are you are searching for a gift, maybe you should consider a gift that could save your and your family’s lives. In this age of nifty gadgets, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All Hazards Weather Radio is a definite must! The National Weather Service wants NOAA weather radio to become as common as the smoke detector in your home. This is especially true if you live in a manufactured home. Severe weather and flooding can strike at any moment of the day or night. Advance warning can spell the difference between life and death.

Did you know that you could be in your home, sound asleep in your bed at 2 a.m., and the National Weather Service (NWS) can wake you up, tell you that severe weather is moving in your direction, and help you find a place of safety to move your family? It is true. The NOAA weather radio (NWR) is one of the most valuable pieces of electronic equipment you can have in your home because it can save the lives of you and your family. It can assist you in making decisions that can minimize property damage, and can give important information during national emergencies, and it is the fastest means of receiving warning or updated weather information. NWR is like having your own personal tornado siren.

Known as the “Voice of the National Weather Service,” NWR is provided as a public service by the NOAA, which is part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 900 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio broadcasts over seven frequencies, so if you are anywhere in the country, you can find a station from a nearby NWS office.

The weather radio is an “All Hazard” radio, meaning that it will broadcast information for much more than severe weather watches and warnings. It will also alert you to civil emergencies such as a chemical spill, a nuclear accident, volcanic or earthquake information, and a dam failure. In Kentucky, NOAA weather radios will also respond to Amber Alerts, which are designed to assist in locating missing children. Specially built receivers that have a tone alert feature will automatically sound a loud tone similar to a loud alarm clock, and begin broadcasting the emergency message. It is this feature that can wake you from a sound sleep and allow you to take action to protect the lives of your loved ones. These receivers are available at many discount department stores, electronic stores, and many mail-order catalogues for a reasonable price.

Most of the time, the weather conditions are not hazardous, so NWR normally broadcasts local forecast, daily climate statistics, river stage information, and current conditions for the local area. During periods of potentially severe weather conditions, this broadcast cycle will take on a different tone, with increasing emphasis on the weather threat. It will contain advice as to what actions are recommended for the threat, and advise you what to look or listen for if the potential threat becomes a reality. If actual warnings are required, then the alert feature will be activated, and as much information as possible will be broadcast to you as to what the threat is, where it is, and where it is moving toward.

So, if you’re looking for something to give you and your family when you are searching for a perfect gift, consider obtaining a NOAA All Hazard Weather Radio which is available at department stores, discount stores, specialty electronic stores, and over the Internet. The National Weather Service does not sell or profit from weather radios. It simply provides the broadcast at no charge for the public.

For more information on NOAA Weather Radio, the tone alert feature, programming codes, or other radio questions, visit the NWS Internet home page for weather radio at http:// www.weather.gov/nwr/.


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