Video: Alternate Options For Severe Weather Updates

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Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) — If you tune into NOAA radio frequency 162.475 for severe weather updates, all you’ll hear is static.

That’s because the NOAA weather radio transmitter in Ackerman is intermittent, causing the signal to be hit or miss. Many areas in Northeast Mississippi and West Alabama face the possibility of severe weather Tuesday, and need to find other outlets to receive updates.

The radio frequency being faulty affects the following counties/areas:

Lowndes
Oktibbeha
Choctaw
Montgomery
Attala
Winston
Noxubee
Clay
Webster
North Neshoba
South Chickasaw
Some parts of south Monroe

Columbus-Lowndes County Emergency Management Agency Director Cindy Lawrence said the transmitter signal being weak presents a big problem for local EMA because, Lowndes County for example, only has the tornado sirens as an available warning. She said the impact could reach many people because of how often the EMA pushes residents to use NOAA radios.

Lawrence recommends residents use smartphones to download weather apps, for example MEMA’s Mississippi EMA app. She also recommends staying tuned to WCBI weather forecasts and social medias for severe weather updates.

If someone in your neighbor does not have access to these options, Lawrence said now is the time to reach out to neighbors and give them a helping hand.

“Any alert they hear, it will be very, very good if they can contact that person and let them know…take cover now”, said Lawrence.

“Please be very weather aware tomorrow…”, implored Lawrence, “…when you leave to go to work or kids [are] going to school….you’re usually separated…know where your safe place is…”

Lawrence also recommended residents to tune into NOAA radio frequency 162.450, which is the transmitter based in Aberdeen.

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