Becoming Severe Weather Ready in the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia

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NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards

Most people receive watch and warning information from broadcast media, particularly local television. This is a very effective means of receiving this critical information. However, have you ever thought about how you will receive watches and warnings if you are away from radio or television, or while you are sleeping? Unfortunately, the Carolinas have a rather high incidence of fatalities associated with tornadoes during the night. In fact, North and South Carolina rank in the top 5 nationally among states with the highest percentage of nighttime deaths due to tornadoes. These are situations in which NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards can save lives.
NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards broadcasts weather information 24 hours a day on certain frequencies. Specially built radio devices receive these broadcasts. The most important feature of these receivers is the tone alert which allows the radio to alarm automatically as soon as a warning or watch is issued.

Table 5. The top 5 states in percentage of killer tornadoes occurring at night. The second column is the percentage of killer tornadoes occurring at night. The third column is the percentage of all tornadoes occurring at night. Although less than 30% of all tornadoes occur at night across the Carolinas, more than half of the killer tornadoes that affect the two states occur at night. NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards receivers can be life-savers during nighttime tornadoes. Adapted from Ashley at al., 2008.
State	% of killer tornadoes occurring at night	% of all tornadoes occurring at night
North Carolina	66.7	28.3
Tennessee	61.4	45.8
Louisiana	56.3	35.8
Arkansas	52.4	42.5
South Carolina	52.2	29.1

Most of these receivers can be programmed to alarm only for certain types of watches and warnings and only for the county in which you live. Most cost less than $100 and can be purchased in electronics stores and many discount department stores. A routine test of the NOAA Weather Radio alarm system is conducted each Wednesday between 11am and noon.

Table 6. NOAA Weather Radio transmitters serving the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia.
Call Sign	Frequency	Location
WWH-24	162.425 MHz	Toccoa, GA
KXI-81	162.450 MHz	Clayton, GA
WXL-56	162.400 MHz	Asheville, NC
WXL-70	162.475 MHz	Charlotte, NC
WWG-82	162.525 MHz	Robbinsville, NC
WNG-538	162.450 MHz	Linville, NC
KYJ-85	162.525 MHz	Mooresville, NC
WXJ-21	162.550 MHz	Greenville, SC
KHC-27	162.425 MHz	Rock Hill, SC

Table 7. FIPS codes and NOAA Weather Radio transmitters for the 46 counties of the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia.
County	FIPS Code	Transmitter	Frequency
Elbert	13105	Athens	162.4
Elbert	13105	Kirksey, SC	162.425
Franklin	13119	Athens	162.4
Franklin	13119	Cleveland	162.525
Franklin	13119	Toccoa	162.425
Habersham	13137	Clayton	162.45
Habersham	13137	Cleveland	162.525
Habersham	13137	Toccoa	162.425
Hart	13147	Athens	162.4
Hart	13147	Cleveland	162.525
Rabun	13241	Clayton	162.45
Rabun	13241	Toccoa	162.425
Stephens	13257	Cleveland	162.525
Stephens	13257	Toccoa	162.425
Alexander	37003	Linville	162.45
Alexander	37003	Mooresville	162.525
Alexander	37003	Mount Jefferson	162.5
Avery	37011	Bristol, TN	162.55
Avery	37011	Linville	162.45
Buncombe	37021	Asheville	162.4
Burke	37023	Linville	162.45
Cabarrus	37025	Buck Mountain	162.5
Cabarrus	37025	Charlotte	162.475
Cabarrus	37025	Mooresville	162.525
Caldwell	37027	Linville	162.45
Caldwell	37027	Mount Jefferson	162.5
Catawba	37035	Charlotte	162.475
Catawba	37035	Linville	162.45
Catawba	37035	Mooresville	162.525
Cleveland	37045	Charlotte	162.475
Cleveland	37045	Rock Hill, SC	162.425
Davie	37059	Mooresville	162.525
Davie	37059	Winston-Salem	162.4
Gaston	37071	Charlotte	162.475
Gaston	37071	Mooresville	162.525
Graham	37075	Robbinsville	162.525
Haywood	37087	Asheville	162.4
Henderson	37089	Asheville	162.4
Iredell	37097	Charlotte	162.475
Iredell	37097	Mooresville	162.525
Iredell	37097	Winston-Salem	162.4
Jackson	37099	Asheville	162.4
Jackson	37099	Robbinsville	162.525
Lincoln	37109	Charlotte	162.475
Lincoln	37109	Mooresville	162.525
Macon	37113	Clayton, GA	162.45
Macon	37113	Robbinsville	162.525

Madison	37115	Asheville	162.4
Madison	37115	Bristol, TN	162.55
McDowell	37111	Asheville	162.4
McDowell	37111	Linville	162.45
Mecklenburg	37119	Charlotte	162.475
Mecklenburg	37119	Mooresville	162.525
Mecklenburg	37119	Rock Hill, SC	162.425
Mitchell	37121	Bristol, TN	162.55
Mitchell	37121	Linville	162.45
Polk	37149	Asheville	162.4
Polk	37149	Greenville, SC	162.55
Rowan	37159	Charlotte	162.475
Rowan	37159	Mooresville	162.525
Rowan	37159	Winston-Salem	162.4
Rutherford	37161	Asheville	162.4
Rutherford	37161	Greenville, SC	162.55
Rutherford	37161	Linville	162.45
Swain	37173	Robbinsville	162.525
Transylvania	37175	Asheville	162.4
Union, NC	37179	Buck Mountain	162.5
Union, NC	37179	Charlotte	162.475
Union, NC	37179	Rock Hill, SC	162.425
Yancey	37199	Asheville	162.4
Yancey	37199	Bristol, TN	162.55
Yancey	37199	Linville	162.45
Abbeville	45001	Greenville	162.55
Abbeville	45001	Kirksey	162.425
Anderson	45007	Greenville	162.55
Cherokee	45021	Charlotte, NC	162.475
Cherokee	45021	Greenville	162.55
Cherokee	45021	Rock Hill	162.425
Chester	45023	Greenville	162.55
Chester	45023	Rock Hill	162.425
Greenville	45045	Greenville	162.55
Greenwood	45047	Greenville	162.55
Greenwood	45047	Kirksey	162.425
Laurens	45059	Greenville	162.55
Laurens	45059	Kirksey	162.425
Oconee	45073	Clayton, GA	162.45
Oconee	45073	Greenville	162.55
Oconee	45073	Toccoa, GA	162.425
Pickens	45077	Greenville	162.55
Spartanburg	45083	Greenville	162.55
Union, SC	45087	Greenville	162.55
Union, SC	45087	Rock Hill	162.425
York	45091	Charlotte, NC	162.475
York	45091	Greenville	162.55
York	45091	Rock Hill	162.425