Section 6. Maintaining Communication

Staying informed and able to communicate with first responders and others in an emergency will help protect the health and safety of your family and farm. Have a battery-powered and/or hand-cranked radio, as well as a flashlight, and extra fresh batteries, available for use in case of power failure. A land-line telephone that does not require electricity should be accessible, as well as a cell phone. Keep backup batteries or a crank charging system for cell phones on-hand, or have a car charger that can draw from the vehicle's battery. Remember to rotate your backup stock of batteries regularly, to be sure they will work when you need them.

Stay Informed

Consider purchasing a weather radio, a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal from NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR). NWR is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office.NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Keep backup batteries for the radio. Provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce, NWR includes 1000 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. Once again, have a battery-powered and/or hand-cranked radio, as well as a flashlight and extra fresh batteries, available for use in case of power failure.