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NOAA03-R299-16 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rusty Pfost or Jim Lushine 8/22/03 |
NOAA
News Releases 2003 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
With
forecasts for an above-normal hurricane season, residents in South
Florida can now stay on top of all storm activity by tuning to NOAA
Weather and All Hazards Radio, a 24-hour source of weather forecasts
and warnings broadcast directly from NOAA
National Weather Service Forecast Offices. NOAA is an agency of
the Department of Commerce. “The growing network of weather radio transmitters is making a tremendous contribution in support of our efforts to save lives and reduce property losses,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “The weather radios provide a way for the public to receive timely, critical information in emergency situations.” “The new transmitter will serve an area that includes Biscayne and Everglades National Parks and the Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant,” said Rusty Pfost, meteorologist in charge of the NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Office in Miami. “This area was devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and the additional weather radio coverage will be of significant benefit to the public.” Residents in and around the area can tune in to the new Princeton transmitter (WGN-663) at 162.425 Megahertz (MHZ). Other sites providing additional or overlapping coverage include Miami (162.550), Naples (162.525), Tea Table (162.450) and Key West (162.400MHz). NOAA Weather and All Hazards Radio is “The Voice of the National Weather Service.” In recent years, the sound of the voice has changed. Automation, which allows NOAA National Weather Service Forecast Offices to speed critical weather information from advanced workstations directly to the growing number of transmitters, makes use of computer-synthesized voices. The new technology makes it possible to provide warnings in seconds, instead of minutes, and also allows simultaneous broadcasts on multiple transmitters when necessary. It also makes better use of other new technologies, such as Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), which allows listeners to program specially equipped models to receive warning alarms for specific counties, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which brings critical warnings to commercial broadcasters faster than ever before. The NOAA Weather and All Hazards Radio network has more than 800 stations, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and U.S. Pacific Territories. Weather radios come in many sizes, with a variety of functions and costs. Some receivers can automatically sound an alarm and turn themselves on if a severe weather warning is broadcast. Some are SAME-equipped. Most receivers are either battery-operated portables or AC-powered desktop models with battery backup. Some scanners, HAM radios, CB radios, short wave receivers and AM/FM radios also are capable of receiving NOAA Weather and All Hazards Radio transmissions. Weather radios can be purchased at most electronics stores. The NOAA National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The NOAA National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. To learn more about the NOAA National Weather Service please visit: http://www.nws.noaa.gov. The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA please visit http://www.noaa.gov. On the Web: National
Weather Service Southern Region home page: http://www.srh.noaa.gov.
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