In The Community

NWS/KPLC NOAA Weather Radio Programming Events at local Walgreens Stores (February-March 2012)

NWR programming event image - click for more images

Lake Charles (Country Club Rd) location
February 2nd

Sulphur (Cities Service Hwy) location
February 9th

DeRidder location
February 16th

Lake Charles (Highway 14) location
February 23rd

Moss Bluff location
March 8th

Images courtesy of KPLC

As a part of the National Weather Service’s new Weather-Ready Nation initiative, the NWS Forecast Office in Lake Charles recently teamed up with local NBC affiliate KPLC-TV, Walgreens, the Midland radio company, and the Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to conduct a series of NOAA Weather Radio programming events across Southwest Louisiana. These events were designed to encourage the purchase and use of weather radios by providing instruction to owners on the functions and capabilities of the radio as well as properly programming the radios to receive parish specific warnings.

Five events were held at local Walgreens stores during February and early March. During these events, Midland Radio provided a special discounted price and free batteries for new radio purchases while KPLC provided live broadcasts during their two evening newscasts.

During the events, radio owners had the opportunity to have their weather radio programmed for their specific parish or county by National Weather Service and KPLC meteorologists as well as Calcasieu parish emergency managers. In addition, attendees learned how to operate and maintain their radios.

These events were highly successful with over 700 new Midland weather radios purchased and programmed with another 100 - 150 previously owned radios brought in for programming. These radios ranged from small handheld two way radios to large boom box size stereos. In total, over 800 households are now better prepared for the threat of severe weather across Southwest Louisiana.