 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR ) is the primary statewide warning system in place today in Florida. The Florida Division of Emergency Management continues to work towards a stated goal of 97% coverage of a NWR signal throughout the state. Through partnerships with the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local governments, Florida leads the Nation in NWR coverage and placement of NWR Alert Receivers in places of critical concern (schools, day care centers, etc.)
NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter Sites in the Southern Region Programming a NOAA Weather Radio - SPECIFIC AREA MESSAGE ENCODING (SAME) The owner of a NWR SAME receiver needs to program their county into the radio. It will then alert only for weather and other emergencies for the county(s) they programmed. Older (non-SAME) NWR receivers without the SAME capability would alert for emergencies anywhere within the coverage area of the NWR transmitter, typically several counties, even though the emergency could be well away from the listener. The SAME technology can eliminate this appearance of over warning. Another method for getting a county NWR SAME code number for programming receivers is available through the NWS's toll free telephone service. This toll free number is 1-888-NWR-SAME (1-888-697-7263). Users will be prompted through a simple voice menu. Through a 1975 White House policy statement, NWR became the sole government-operated radio system to provide natural and manmade disaster warnings directly to private homes.
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