Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Barry Reichenbaugh 12/4/98
A NOAA Weather Radio receiver is a useful and potentially life-saving gift this holiday season, which can be purchased at the electronics counter of a store near you.
In 1998, Americans experienced tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, blizzards and ice storms that destroyed homes, churches and schools -- and killed many people. The most tragic stories are of people that could have been saved, if only they had heard the warning in time. When severe weather strikes, NOAA Weather Radio is the quickest means to receive warnings of severe weather and floods and other local hazards, coming directly over the airways from the local National Weather Service office.
"A NOAA Weather Radio receiver could save your life someday," said National Weather Service Director Jack Kelly. "When you give one as a gift, you could make a difference in the lives of those near to you the next time severe weather strikes."
During an emergency, National Weather Service forecasters interrupt routine weather radio programming and send out a special tone that activates weather radios in the listening area. The tone alarm feature can sound an alert from a "standby" or mute setting and give people immediate information about a life-threatening situation. Hearing-impaired people can also get these warnings by connecting weather radios with alarm tones to other kinds of attention-getting devices such as strobe lights, pagers, bed-shakers, and printed text equipment.
As the "Voice of the National Weather Service," NOAA Weather Radio also provides continuous broadcasts of the latest weather information from local Weather Service offices. Routine forecast information is updated every one to three hours, and NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts are repeated about every five minutes.
NOAA Weather Radio receivers are available with a variety of functions and costs. Most NOAA Weather Radio receivers are AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. Some portable receivers also are available.
The NOAA Weather Radio network includes more than 480 stations, located in all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and U.S. Pacific Territories. Broadcast range from most weather radio transmitters is approximately 40 miles. The effective range depends on terrain, quality of the receiver, and quality of the receiver's antenna.
For the location of the NOAA Weather Radio transmitter nearest you, contact your local National Weather Service office or visit the NOAA Weather Radio homepage on the Internet at:
NOAA Weather Radio is a service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.