What to Look for in an NOAA Weather Radio for Emergencies

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NOAA weather radios are extremely useful in emergency situations. They help you to know what’s going on in the outside world!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts environmental research, provides national weather forecasts, issues severe storm warnings, and helps broadcast emergency evacuation and response information to the public. If you want to have access to this information during an emergency, you need an AM/FM NOAA weather radio.

We have the KAYINOW Hand Crank Emergency Radio in our 72-hour kit. We like it a lot, but it is not your only option. We want to help you choose the best NOAA weather radio for your family. That’s what this post is about. Let us show you what to look for in an emergency radio.

A Quick Look at Emergency Radio Costs

You can get a good emergency radio for under $50. Don’t be fooled into spending more…

All you really need is a radio with an AM/FM tuner, since most information will be transmitted over AM stations during an emergency.

Sure, some emergency radios come with extra features, such as a flashlight or power bank, but you’ll have to decide if the extra cost is justification for spending more money or not. If you already have a flashlight or power bank in your 72-hour kit, it might not make sense to get an NOAA weather radio that has all these extra features.

Here are a few emergency radio options from Amazon for cost comparison:

Get an NOAA Weather Radio with Multiple Charging Methods

Most emergency radios run on batteries. As long as you have extra batteries, this will work fine.

However, it’s much better to get an NOAA weather radio that has multiple charging methods. Look for hand-crank, solar, and USB. The more charging methods, the better. After all, your batteries will eventually run out and it’s hard to predict how long you’ll be facing an emergency.

Quick Tip: Look for an emergency radio that has an NOAA sticker. This is the best way to ensure you’ll be covered during an emergency.

An NOAA weather radio is essential for communication during an emergency, but the communication is only one way. If you want to be able to talk back and forth with family members, you need long-range walkie talkies or a HAM radio in addition to your emergency AM/FM radio. However, an NOAA weather radio should be one of the first things you get if you’re prepping on a budget.