(MADISON) – With severe storm season about to begin it is critical to have an emergency weather radio in your home, school and office to protect you and your family.
May 3, 2017 is NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Awareness Day in Wisconsin. The campaign encourages people to own a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards. It provides a 24-hour source of weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and non-weather emergency information from the National Weather Service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
“The early warning of possible danger gives you and your family time to act and stay safe.” says Brian Satula, Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator. Satula adds, “Listen, Act and Live! Listen to the weather radio warnings and take action right away. You’ll have a much better chance of surviving the disaster.”
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, with an alarm and battery back-up, is one of the best ways to protect your family, especially at night when the alarm feature can wake you up during severe weather and give you and your family time to seek appropriate shelter. If there is no severe weather or emergency your radio can be switched to a silent, stand-by mode.
Weather radios cost around $30 and can be purchased at most electronic and home improvement stores. Most weather radio receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. The portable weather radios are an important item to take along when you are enjoying the outdoors such as camping and boating. Many receivers have digital technology called Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) that allows users to program their radios to alarm only for hazardous conditions that affect their county.
For additional information about weather radios including real life stories of Wisconsin residents who survived a tornado thanks to the early warning from a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, go to https://readywisconsin.wi.gov/tornado/survivors.asp
