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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
539 AM EDT Tue Apr 21 2026

...SEVERE WEATHER PREPAREDNESS WEEK...WAYS TO RECIEVE SEVERE
WEATHER ALERTS...

The National Weather Service (NWS) Boston, MA has declared
April 20 through April 24 as Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
Each
day this week we will highlight a different preparedness topic.

Today's Topics:  Ways to receive severe weather alerts

One of the keys to staying safe during the severe weather season
is making sure that you have a way to receive life saving severe
weather watches and warnings. There are many methods and tools,
some of which are available with no cost or fees, that you can
use
to receive these important life saving alerts no matter where you
are -at home, at school, or at work.  Here is a partial list of
these methods and tools.

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR):  NWR is a nationwide network of radio
stations broadcasting continuous weather information from the
nearest National Weather Service office. Specially built
receivers
receive the NWR broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and
sound
an audible alert when official watches and warnings are issued
for
your area. Think of these radios as a smoke detector for severe
weather alerts.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): In addition to other alert types
such as AMBER Alerts, this free service transmits extreme weather
warnings such as Tornado and Flash Flood warnings to your cell
phone.
Beginning on or about July 15, 2021, the wireless alerts will
also
include ultra-severe thunderstorms - those that might produce
baseball
size hail and/or 80 mph wind gusts. The alerts look like a text
message
and show the type and time of the alert, and any action you
should take.
WEA messages include a special tone and vibration. If you receive
a WEA
message, you should follow any action advised by the emergency
message.
Seek more details from your favorite TV or radio station, NOAA
Weather
Radio, news website, desktop application, mobile application, or
other
trusted source of information.

Cell phone apps:  There are many great cell phone apps that
provide real-time NWS warnings and alerts, some of which are free
to download and use, and others that may charge a small fee.  A
simple search of your app provider will reveal many of these
apps.

Emergency Alert System (EAS) and your favorite TV and radio
stations:  EAS is the message dissemination pathway that sends
warnings via broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline services.
EAS may be used by state and local authorities, including the
National Weather Service, in cooperation with the broadcast
community, to deliver important emergency information such as
severe weather information, AMBER alerts, and local incident
information targeted to specific areas.  In short, when severe
weather strikes, it's a good idea to tune to your favorite local
TV or radio station or website for detailed information about the
severe weather threat.

In addition to the aforementioned alerting system, many
communities also offer free emergency alert notifications through
their own systems, such as reverse 911 phone systems. Be sure to
check with your local emergency management agency to learn what
is
available in your area.

Be sure to take some time this week to learn more about severe
weather safety. Learning and practicing severe weather safety
when
the weather is good will allow you to react more quickly when the
weather turns bad.

For more information, visit Weather.gov/safety/thunderstorm

$$

For the latest updates...please visit our webpage at
www.weather.gov/boston

You can follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/us.nationalweatherservice.boston.gov

You can follow us on X at @NWSBoston