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Friday, February 27, 2009

Severe Weather Awareness Week (part 5) - NOAA Weather Radio

Today is the last day of Severe Weather Awareness week and the focus shifts to NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System.

...NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM...

WEATHER RADIO IS THE VOICE OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. IT PROVIDES CONTINUOUS WEATHER INFORMATION 24 HOURS A DAY... EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. THE NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF WEATHER RADIO STATIONS PROVIDES THE PUBLIC WITH THE FASTEST MOST RELIABLE SOURCE OF UP-TO-DATE WEATHER INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

YOU NEED A SPECIAL RADIO TO RECEIVE WEATHER RADIO BROADCASTS...A RADIO THAT IS CAPABLE OF RECEIVING SIGNALS IN THE VERY HIGH FREQUENCY PUBLIC SERVICE BAND.

BROADCASTS MAY VARY BUT GENERALLY INCLUDE AREA FORECASTS, PRESENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, SHORT-TERM FORECASTS, CLIMATIC DATA, RIVER AND LAKE STAGE FORECASTS, AND OTHER SPECIALIZED INFORMATION. THE BROADCASTS ARE UPDATED CONTINUOUSLY.

WEATHER RADIO IS USEFUL ANYTIME BUT IT IS MOST IMPORTANT WHEN SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. DURING PERIODS OF SEVERE WEATHER, ROUTINE PROGRAMMING IS INTERRUPTED AND THE FOCUS SHIFTED TO THE LOCAL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. IN AN EMERGENCY, A WARNING ALARM TONE IS BROADCAST THAT ACTIVATES SPECIALLY DESIGNED RECEIVERS TO TURN ON AUTOMATICALLY, OR PRODUCE A VISUAL OR AUDIBLE ALARM.

A PRIMARY SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION IS THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. EAS IS A SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATIONS LINKS THAT UTILIZE DATA IN A DIGITAL FORM. IT IS A RELIABLE MEANS OF LINKING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, AND THE RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCAST MEDIA TOGETHER. EAS HELPS PARTICIPATING RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS RECEIVE AND RELAY WEATHER WARNINGS AND OTHER EMERGENCY INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WEATHER RADIO...CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE.

courtesy NWS/Memphis

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