News

Keeping “alert” to severe weather

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Renee Grobe
  • 14th Operations Support Squadron
COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. --  With the newest technology, severe weather can be forecasted out hours and even days ahead. Tuning in to a local channel on television can help anyone keep an eye on severe weather in the local area and any watches or warnings issued for the counties in the state. 

What if shelter needs to be taken or the power goes out? Is it safe to leave the shelter yet? A weather radio gives the latest on the any severe weather in the area and where it's forecasted to move along with any watches or warnings issued. 

The National Weather Service provides a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information from the nearest NWS office. Official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information are broadcasted 24/7. They also work with the Federal Communication Commission's Emergency Alert System to provide warning and post-event information for all types of hazards-including natural such as severe weather and earthquakes, environmental such as chemical releases or oil spills, and public safety such as AMBER alerts or 911 telephone outages. This makes having a good weather radio as part of a shelter kit a must. 

Anyone can purchase a weather radio at many retail outlets to include electronics, department, sporting goods and boat and marine accessory stores and their catalogs. Prices vary from $20 to $200, depending on the model and what options desired. 

The main two types of weather radios are standalone weather radio receivers and multi-band/function receivers. If someone wants to be alerted to warnings or watches day or night, a standalone receiver might work best. They come with AM/FM bands but are primarily used to receive weather radio broadcasts. They can choose between handheld and desktop models, depending on whether they want to take the radio with them when they go out. The price range for this type of radio is $20 to over $100 depending on the number of features included. If they just want to tune in to the weather broadcast, but do not want the alerts, a general multi-band function receiver may be the best option. These radios come with a number of features with weather radio being just one of the features. They can find weather radio included in AM/FM radios, scanners, shortwave receivers, GMRS/FRS 2-way radios, CB radios, Car radios, VHF Marine radios and TV/Radio combinations. Either weather radio is good way to keep up with the current weather, making it a must for a shelter kit.