Why do I need a NOAA Weather Radio?

Weather radios equipped with a siren feature will sound a weather alert giving immediate information about a life-threatening situation. It's the fastest and most reliable way to receive official warnings.

Weather radios are often referred to as "indoor tornado sirens" because they broadcast tornado warnings as soon as they are issued and can wake you while sleeping. Outdoor storm sirens are meant only for warning people outdoors and may not be heard at night or during a loud thunderstorm.

All Hazards Weather Alert Radios will sound for a variety of situations, including severe weather, hurricanes, tornadoes, Amber alerts & non-weather civil emergencies. Portable versions of NWR like the Midland ER50 E+Ready® Emergency Weather Alert Crank Radio provide localized alerts to travelers, storm watchers and outdoorsmen.

"Any radio" won't do because only a weather radio can receive NOAA broadcasts. A weather radio that can run on back-up batteries is the only way to ensure you receive severe weather and public alerts even without electricity.

While cellphones are great, towers can become overwhelmed, destroyed, or damaged. This could result in a significant delay in receiving an alert or you might not receive one at all. It is important to have multiple, redundant ways of receiving your emergency and weather alerts.