Hurricane Preparedness Blog

How will you get weather information if you don’t have power?  The NOAA Weather Radio can be the information source you need when and if the storm hits…

It’s still early in Hurricane Season 2008, and we’ve had five named storms so far.   We’re off to a fairly busy start, aren’t we?   When you are putting the finishing touches on your hurricane supply kit, make sure you cover your communication bases.   We’ve all seen how disasters alter communication systems we use everyday- so it’s best to get together various communication tools that’ll get us the information we need, when we need to know it.   We’ve already mentioned rabbit ears as a great addition to your  2008 Hurricane Season supplies, and now we will mention another great communication tool-  the NOAA Weather Radio.

• The NOAA Weather Radio is a tool commonly used by water enthusiasts and boaters, but it’s great for other weather emergencies, like hurricanes.   It is a small radio that you can typically buy at electronics stores and local boating stores.   From National Weather Service centers from across your state, it will provide you with the latest weather information pertinent to your area.  It’s a good thing to have in your hurricane supply kit, but it’s also a helpful device to use year round, for both the home and the outdoors.
• For certain NOAA Weather Radios, if an emergency weather situation is present, the radio will sound an alarm.   Then, the user can turn on the radio to hear the broadcast.   And know that you won’t miss a beat-  NOAA gets broadcast information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and repeats messages every four to six minutes.    Broadcasts are also routinely updated by the National Weather Service.
• The best type of NOAA Weather Radio is one that has three power options: plug-in, battery powered, and hand crank. While you have electricity, keep it plugged in to save the batteries for when you really need them. If the batteries die, a hand crank can power it up for a short time. Note that plug-in models from Radio Shack for example often require you to purchase the power adapter separately.

Imagine that your phones are out, your cable isn’t working, and your power is off.   After a hurricane strikes, this could describe the situation you’re in.    The NOAA Weather Radio can give you information that you don’t have, and badly need access to.   For more information about this communication tool and others, visit the Communication side of OneStorm.