A NOAA Weather Radio can save your life. It delivers a continuous weather broadcast from the local National Weather Service, 24 hours a day, in most locations in the US. You hear local weather reports that give temperature, humidity and wind at locations around the coast, updated every hour. Boaters get marine forecasts and everyone gets information on tides, rivers and sunrise/sunset. The feature of a weather radio that can save your life is an alarm that is built in. Alarms sound when a county is under a Warning or Watch for Tornadoes, Flash Floods, Severe Thunderstorms, or Hurricanes. You control what county or counties you'll hear the alarm for if your radio has S.A.M.E.; Specific Area Message Encoding. Weather radios are also known as All Hazards radios. In some communities you will get other local emergency information such as Amber alerts or information on chemical spills.
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News 5 continues to partner with Midland Radios to promote the opportunity to purchase a Midland WR-100 Weather Radio at area Walgreens at a discounted price of $29.99
Midland WR-100 Weather Radio / All Hazards Radio
* S.A.M.E. Localized reception
* 7 N.O.A.A. Channels
* Digital front panel continuous LCD display
* 25 Programmable Counties
* User selectable warning system
* Choice of Voice, LED flash, or Tone Alert.
* Time, Date & Alarm Clock with full display
* Wall plug in power adapter
* Emergency power back-up, uses 3 AA batteries (not included)
Walgreens stores in the News 5 area that carry the discounted Midland WR-100 are listed below. There are also Walgreens along the Mississippi coast, inland Alabama, and the rest of the Florida panhandle with the same discounted price but you should call before going.
Search, using your zip code, to find the nearest Walgreens.
Programming your weather radio starts with knowing the frequency of the nearest transmitter and the S.A.M.E. code for your county. Some counties have multiple transmitters so choose the one closest to your city. While you can choose only to hear alarms for your county it's a good idea to include neighboring counties so you'll know when something is on the way.
State, County, Same Code, Frequency, and Transmitter Locations
AL, Baldwin 001003 162.550 Mobile, AL
AL, Baldwin 001003 162.400 Pensacola, FL
AL, Clarke 001025 162.500 Jackson
AL, Conecuh 001035 162.475 Brewton
AL, Conecuh 001035 162.550 Dozier
AL, Conecuh 001035 162.425 Greenville
AL, Conecuh 001035 162.500 Jackson
AL, Escambia 001053 162.475 Brewton
AL, Escambia 001053 162.550 Dozier
AL, Escambia 001053 162.500 Jackson
AL, Mobile 001097 162.425 Leakesville, MS
AL, Mobile 001097 162.550 Mobile, AL
AL, Monroe 001099 162.475 Brewton
AL, Monroe 001099 162.500 Jackson
AL, Washington 001129 162.500 Jackson
FL, Escambia 012033 162.400 Pensacola
FL, Okaloosa 012091 162.400 Pensacola
FL, Santa Rosa 012113 162.475 Brewton, AL
FL, Santa Rosa 012113 162.550 Dozier, AL
FL, Santa Rosa 012113 162.400 Pensacola
MS, George 028039 162.400 Gulfport
MS, George 028039 162.425 Leakesville
MS, George 028039 162.550 Mobile, AL
MS, Greene 028041 162.475 Hattiesburg
MS, Greene 028041 162.500 Jackson, AL
MS, Greene 028041 162.425 Leakesville
MS, Greene 028041 162.550 Mobile, AL
MS, Harrison 028047 162.400 Gulfport
MS, Jackson 028059 162.400 Gulfport
MS, Jackson 028059 162.550 Mobile, AL
Like most weather radios you should always leave it plugged in. The battery is just a backup for when you lose power. Running these radios off of batteries, even in the standby mode, will drain the batteries quickly. Watch this instructional video on setting up your radio if you are having trouble.
If you don't have the box, download complete specifications or owner's manual for the wr-100
or read this other setup information from NOAA for various Weather Radios
Mississippi County S.A.M.E. codes
Note that there is a weekly test of the alarm by the National Weather Service office. It's generally done on Wednesdays mid morning and early evening. If the weather is bad on that day then the test is postponed so there's no confusion as to whether it is a test or real. The purpose of this test is to make sure your radio is working properly. The Midland WR-100 will not sound an alarm during the test but it will show the test on the LED display. If you totally turn off the alarm feature or turn off any weather radio to not hear the tests and you forget to turn it back on then you will not hear the alarm for a real weather hazard.
We know you tune to News 5 when weather threatens but when you are asleep or not watching us a weather radio can sound an alarm to wake you and get your attention so you can protect yourself and your family. Every home, school, and business needs a weather radio the same way every one needs a smoke detector. The better models can trigger strobes, outdoor sirens and other external devices like pillow shakers. These are helpful for those with hearing disabilities. Make sure your Weather Radio has a tone alarm and battery-backup (in case you lose electricity). The information is broadcast on frequencies between 162.4 MHz and 162.55 MHz so you can pick it up on other high-band radios as well but these may not have a tone alarm.
If you choose not to buy a discounted Midland Weather Radio, you can find other brands online or in stores that sell radios, appliances, and home electronics typically at a cost between $40 and $80. Weather Radios are also sold in home improvement stores as well as in home office supply stores. Read more about weather radios from NOAA, the parent organization of the National Weather Service.
You can also sign up for the free WKRG First Alert Storm Alert emails for your cel phone, pager, PDA or computer, to also give you emergency Watch and Warning information. Remember that there is no technology that 100% guarantees your safety in all situations but you have to be aware and have a plan.
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