The high number and severity of the hurricanes this season has brought about a new level of awareness to severe weather safety. One of the essential items in severe weather safety is the weather radio. Although the radio can be used at any time, it is most important when electricity is not available and severe weather is approaching. During storms, it is quite common for power to be cut off for any length of time. It is important to know where the storm is, how severe it is, and where it is headed. The weather radio can provide this information, allowing you and your family to seek shelter and take the precautions necessary to survive a severe storm.

Weather radios are unique from regular radios in many important ways. First, weather radios are designed to receive NOAA weather signals 24 hours a day that provide current weather conditions in your area. This information is crucial as allows you the time to seek shelter if a storm is approaching. The weather radio is also often smaller and lighter than most other radios, which allows it to be easily carried around from room to room in your house, to work, or in the car. Some radios allow you to select your state and county, thereby setting your regional channel. A few even come with graphical LCD displays, capable of showing thousands of US county maps.

There are dozens of weather radios currently on the market. One of the newest ones, the handheld WR102 portable NOAA weather radio is a popular choice. This device resembles a modern walkie-talkie - small and lightweight with a simple display. The radio can be placed into a pocket and easily taken camping or to ball games.

Another popular weather radio is the Graphical Interface Emergency Radio with LCD display. The device looks a lot like a small GPS, with a detailed, monochrome map showing your location and the warnings currently posted for the area. The device will warn you about a vareity of disasters including tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, flash floods, mudslides, nuclear radiation hazards, chemical releases or oil spills, and even homeland defense alerts.

Bradley James is a senior editor at SciNet.cc, a website containing many helpful consumer electronics review articles. For more information on severe weather alert radios, please visit our severe weather radios webpage.

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