REMEMBER NOAA WEATHER RADIO WHEN SPRINGING FORWARD
‘Tis the Season to Complete Severe Weather Preparedness Plans

Daylight-saving time begins three weeks earlier this year, on Sunday morning, March 11. While moving the clock ahead one hour, be sure to place fresh batteries into smoke detectors and NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receivers. Those who do not currently have a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver are strongly encouraged to purchase this potentially life-saving device as the United States enters the spring severe weather season.

Owning a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver and having a preparedness plan developed in advance are among the central themes raised by NOAA’s National Weather Service during Severe Weather Awareness Week — an annual safety campaign during which NOAA distributes safety tips and information on various weather threats across individual states. Next week, March 12-16, Severe Weather Awareness Week will be recognized throughout Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with other states to follow later in the month and through April and May.

“Moving from winter to spring often brings the threat of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding,” said Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is essential to staying abreast of approaching, ongoing and rapidly developing weather conditions that may be hazardous to your safety. And having a personal preparedness plan ahead of time allows for quick action when seconds count.”

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, a component of the nation's Emergency Alert System, is a nationwide network of more than 970 radio stations directly linked with NOAA’s National Weather Service, which issues weather warnings and relays civil emergency messages on behalf of law enforcement agencies. NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is provided as a public service by NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Broadcasts include tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, flood warnings, AMBER Alerts for child abductions, chemical spill messages and routine weather observations and forecasts.

When selecting a NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards receiver, consumers should consider:

Many radios can also be programmed to alert only for specific warning types. Flashing alert lights, bed shakers and other accessories are available to ensure the hearing impaired have access to this life-saving information.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards are available at many electronic retail stores, marine supply stores, mail order catalogs and the Internet. Prices vary by model and available options, but typically range between $20 and $80.

NOAA is celebrating 200 years of science and service to the nation in 2007. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA’s National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr