Emergency Radio System
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Weather Radio
NWR broadcasts National Weather Service (NWS) warnings, watches, forecasts
and other non-weather related hazard information 24 hours a day. During an
emergency, NWS forecasters interrupt routine broadcasts and send a special
tone activating local weather radios. Weather radios equipped with a special
alarm tone feature sound an alert to give you immediate information about a
life-threatening situation.
NWR broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards:
weather (e.g., tornadoes, floods), natural (e.g., earthquakes, forest fires and
volcanic activity), technological (e.g., chemical releases, oil spills, nuclear power
plant emergencies, etc.), and national emergencies (e.g., terrorist attacks).
Working with other Federal agencies and the Federal Communications
Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System (EAS), NWR is an all-hazards radio
network, making it the most comprehensive weather and emergency information
available to the public.
Life-threatening weather emergency messages are alerted on NWR. Many of
those same weather-related emergency messages are also broadcast via the
EAS.
Non-Weather Related Emergency Messages
For non-weather emergencies, NWS activates the system at the request of local
and/or state officials. NWS does not initiate the contact or the message. Local or
state officials provide text information about the non-weather hazard directly to
the local NWS offices. NWS offices set up agreements to speed the process,
since minutes make a difference. In most areas, the local or state Office of
Emergency Management or Preparedness, civil defense, police or
mayor/commissioner sets up linkages to send messages on systems such as the
EAS and NWR. Other references to broadcasting "all-hazards" emergency
messages on NOAA Weather Radio:
AMBER Alerts and the National Weather Service fact sheet, 6/23/04
NOAA Weather Radio brochure, May 1999 (see page 2)
Station locations and total number of transmitters are available online
Interagency publication entitled Saving Lives With an All-Hazard Warning Network
Effective Disaster Warnings, A November 2000 report on public and private
sector R&D capability to provide early warning of natural or technological hazards
that threaten the safety of the Nation.
