Why Emergency Radios are an Important Staple:
In every disaster-ready home an emergency radio is essential. There are several reasons why emergency radios are important and handy in times of crises. My husband, Jay, and I are those weird people that get excited when a hurricane blows through. No, we don’t want it to damage property or hurt anyone, (we’re not sadistic), but we do tend to watch the hurricane coverage like it’s an Auburn versus Alabama football game while we munch out on tailgate food.
With that said, I can’t imagine staring at a wall after the electricity has gone out…not knowing what’s going on outside. That’s why emergency radios are important. These radios allow you to receive weather alerts or civil unrest reports when your electricity and phone lines are out.
Furthermore, without electricity how are you going to charge that cell phone? Most emergency radios can be used to charge your other devices. And if by chance those electric lines come down, you’ll have to stumble to the bathroom in the dark. I’ve got great news….yep, you guessed it, most emergency radios now have flashlights so you don’t bump into a wall in the night. What if you find cell service unavailable and you’re trapped under something heavy? If you happened to grab your emergency radio, before getting trapped—some have walkie-talkie capabilities, enabling you to call out to anyone “Breaker breaker 1..9.. copy that?” That fireman will rescue you in no time.
How to Pick Your Emergency Radio:
Now that you know why an emergency radio is essential in every home, let’s discuss what to look for when you buy one. Make sure it:
- Features both the NOAA All Hazards logo and the Public Alert label.
- Can be powered several different ways: solar, crank, batteries, car charged, and electric.
- Has a waterproof casing.
- It’s impact resistant.
- Has a speaker (if you have a large family who’d want to listen along with you to the latest weather report).
- Has ear plug capability (if you don’t want to frighten your family)
- Can charge your cell phone and other devices.
- Includes a flashlight
- Has multi-language capabilities (if needed)
- Has S.A.M.E. capabilities, so you can program your area to receive local weather alerts.
Reading the consumer reviews ensures you’ll find one rated high quality. Emergency radios are not a super expensive investment, the mid-range being around $50, but in an emergency you will be thankful to have one on hand. Besides, when the lights go out no one wants to let their hurricane party fizzle out with it.
The radios featured in this article were purchased on Amazon. Both had good reviews. To read up on their features, find the links below:
The yellow multi-purpose crank radio.
The Dodocool white emergency radio
