This Little Box Could Save Your Life
It's a little box could help save your life.
I think everybody's dad or grandpa had a weather radio at one time.
"Weather radio monitors National Weather Service frequencies," said Ted Buehner of the National Weather Service. He's hoping you see the significance if getting a weather radio for your home -- especially in these times.
He's says in addition to forecasts, you'll also hear Emergency Alert System messages.
You may say, "Well, I'll just listen to the news."
But Buehner says the point of weather radio is not to replace the news, but to offer en early alert.
"Most people are then going to turn to a news organization --- such as KOMO Radio --- to find out more information," he said.
Today's weather radio can be programmed to be silent, until something serious happens.
"You can have it sitting beside your bed, which I do."
Tom Sharp of Pierce County Emergency Management says weather radios today are being used for all types of alerts -- including child abductions and 911 outages.
"In just the last three weeks, we've had two (911 outages). In both cases, we were able to relay that information on Weather Radio, and get that information to people very quickly," Buehner added.
And in the event terrorists strike the area, Weather Radio would provide a secondary alert, or other instances such as a HazMat situation caused by an earthquake or an attack.
Weather radios are once again easy to find at most hardware stores and online shops.
For More Information:
National Weather Service Weather Radio Program -- www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr