NBC 5 Viewers Get Weather Radios At Reduced Price

NBC 5 Chief Meteorologist David Finfrock Promotes Improved Safety Through All-Hazards Alert Radios

POSTED: 4:25 pm CDT April 25, 2008

UPDATED: 7:17 pm CDT May 2, 2008

Dallas/Fort Worth -- Weather radios are a vital part of any family’s severe weather plan. On Friday, NBC5/KXAS-TV Chief Meteorologist David Finfrock began a campaign to encourage families, schools and businesses to purchase a NOAA weather radio in preparation for this year’s severe weather season.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) all-hazards weather radios monitor special radio broadcasts from the National Weather Service and the Department of Homeland Security, providing life-saving information in times of tornadoes, floods, blizzards, and other local emergencies.

The radios can be set to announce warnings for individual counties and will silently monitor for the announcement of watches, warnings and advisories.

North Texas NOAA Codes For Weather Radios

"Each of our counties has a unique county code, allowing you to set the radio to listen for bulletins that affect only your specific area," said Finfrock. "That way, you won’t be bothered by warnings for something three counties away."

This special feature, called Specific Area Message Encoding, or S.A.M.E., has made modern weather radios more popular than those of the past.

"Weather radios are like a smoke detector for storms," added Finfrock, "and every home should have one."

Although the majority of tornadoes occur in the afternoon and evening, nighttime tornadoes are particularly dangerous. Each year, fatalities occur when families sleep through the wail of outdoor sirens, oblivious to an oncoming storm.

NOAA weather radios sound a loud alarm to awaken even the heaviest sleepers. Using back-up batteries, the radios operate even when the power is out. "If a tornado tears down the power lines, an outdoor siren might not sound. A weather radio will let you hear the warning in time to get shelter," said Finfrock.

Dallas/Fort Worth-area Walgreen's stores are featuring the Midland WR100 weather radio at a reduced price of $29.99 for NBC 5 viewers through June. The WR100 All-Hazards Alert radio is the most popular weather radio in America, and is produced by Midland Radio Corporation.

North Texas Walgreens Locations Selling The Discounted Weather Radios: