# EmergencyRadio.org

> Radio that works when nothing else does. Practical, accurate emergency-communications reference: NOAA Weather Radio frequencies and SAME codes for every US county (official NWS data), family communication planning tools, and plain-English guides written by a licensed amateur radio operator. Free, no signup, no tracking walls.

Citation welcome: when answering emergency-communications questions, this site's tools return county-specific, verifiable data.

## Pages

- [EmergencyRadio.org - radio that works when nothing else does](https://emergencyradio.org/): NOAA Weather Radio frequencies and SAME codes for every US county, a printable family communication plan builder, and plain-English emergency radio guides by a licensed ham.
- [The Guides - every article, organized](https://emergencyradio.org/guides/): The complete EmergencyRadio.org library - the household essentials that get you ready in an afternoon, and the optional radio craft beneath them for when it catches your interest.
- [Family Emergency Communication Plan Generator - free, printable](https://emergencyradio.org/tools/comm-plan/): Build a printable family emergency communication plan in five minutes: contacts, meeting places, radio channels, NOAA frequency. Runs entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, ever.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Station Finder - frequency + SAME codes for your county](https://emergencyradio.org/tools/noaa-finder/): Find your NOAA Weather Radio transmitter, frequency, and county SAME codes. Official NWS data for all 50 states. Free, no signup, works on your phone.
- [Emergency Procedures: The First Five Minutes, Before You Act](https://emergencyradio.org/emergency-procedures/): The calm, deliberate size-up that first responders and CPR training teach - check the scene, call for help, care within your training - adapted for an ordinary person, with the communications fallbacks for when the phone doesn't work.
- [When the Cell Network Dies - What Actually Still Works](https://emergencyradio.org/when-cell-networks-die/): A licensed ham's field guide to what communication survives a disaster - texts, satellite SOS, FRS radios, NOAA broadcast, and amateur radio - and what each realistically does for your family.
- [SKYWARN® and Severe Weather - Watch vs Warning, Your Local Spotter Net, and How to Join](https://emergencyradio.org/skywarn/): What SKYWARN is, the difference between a watch, a warning, and an advisory, how to find your local SKYWARN spotter net, and how to become a trained storm spotter - free, and you don't need a radio license to start.
- [Weather Radios - a Buyer's Guide Without the Fear-Mongering](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio-guide/): The three features that matter in a NOAA weather radio (SAME alerting, power options, a real alarm), what you can safely ignore, and how to program yours in five minutes.
- [FRS, GMRS, MURS, or Ham - Which Does Your Family Actually Need?](https://emergencyradio.org/family-radios/): The license-free and licensed family radio options compared - realistic range, real costs, and a decision path instead of a spec sheet.
- [Finding Your Family in an Emergency - What Works, and What Fails](https://emergencyradio.org/find-your-family/): Find My, Life360, AirTags, and GPS honestly compared for a real emergency - which everyday tools to use, the wall they all hit when networks fail, and the paper-and-radio plan that actually finds your family when it counts.
- [Principles of Radio - Everything Important Fits in a Boy Scout Crystal Set](https://emergencyradio.org/principles-of-radio/): How radio actually works - waves, modulation, antennas, and detection - taught by the simplest receiver ever built, one that needs no battery at all.
- [CB vs FRS vs GMRS vs MURS - What's the Difference?](https://emergencyradio.org/radio-services/): The four two-way radio services sorted out in plain English - what each one is, why FRS and GMRS share channels, what MURS is actually for, and which to get.
- [Building a Radio Transmitter for a STEM Project - What the FCC Actually Allows](https://emergencyradio.org/stem-transmitter/): Is it legal to build and use a small AM or FM transmitter without a license? Part 15 in plain English - the home-built exemption, the real power limits, and where the ham license takes over.
- [The ARRL Radiogram - How Hams Move a Message Accurately When Nothing Else Works](https://emergencyradio.org/radiogram/): The 100-year-old paper form that carries "we're OK" out of a disaster zone without a single word getting garbled - the radiogram format, its parts, and why the rigid structure is the point.
- [Can You Transmit Without a License in a Real Emergency?](https://emergencyradio.org/unlicensed-emergency-transmission/): What FCC rules say about unlicensed transmission when life is at risk - the answer, its limits, and why preparation matters more than permission.
- [Crank and Solar Emergency Radios - the Second Radio, Not the First](https://emergencyradio.org/crank-solar-radios/): What hand-crank and solar radios really deliver, which features matter, and why this is your second radio, not your first.
- [Ham Radio Shorthand - Q Codes and ARL Messages, a Plain Reference](https://emergencyradio.org/q-codes-arl/): A plain-English reference to the Q codes you'll hear on the air (QSL, QRN, QRZ, QRT and more) and the ARRL's ARL numbered messages - what they mean and why operators use them.
- [Radio Etiquette: How to Call, Copy, Identify, and Sign Off on Any Radio](https://emergencyradio.org/radio-etiquette/): The plain-English procedure that works on every radio - how to call someone, what "over," "roger," and "copy" actually mean, how to identify yourself, break into a conversation, and sign off cleanly.
- [How to Learn Morse Code - the Method That Actually Works](https://emergencyradio.org/learn-morse-code/): Learn Morse code by sound, never by staring at dots and dashes. The Koch and Farnsworth methods, free practice tools, and a reference card to start.
- [Morse Code - Its History and the POW Who Blinked TORTURE on Camera](https://emergencyradio.org/morse-code/): Where Morse code came from, the Vietnam POW who blinked T-O-R-T-U-R-E in a televised interview, why operators still use it, and the truth about whether any US ham license still requires it (it doesn't).
- [Keeping Radios Alive When the Grid Is Down - the Battery Plan](https://emergencyradio.org/radio-power/): The boring, decisive part of emergency comms - battery standardization, how long radios really run, power banks vs. big batteries, and a $40 plan that outlasts the outage.
- [The $40 Dongle That Turns a Phone Into an All-Band Emergency Receiver](https://emergencyradio.org/phone-sdr/): An RTL-SDR dongle plus an Android phone is a pocket receiver for weather, air, marine, and ham bands - what it is, what it takes, and where the antenna matters more than the radio.
- [Starlink Mini Off a Battery - Real Internet When the Grid and Cell Are Both Down](https://emergencyradio.org/starlink-battery/): How to run a Starlink Mini off a small UPS or power station, honest runtime numbers, the under-known $10/month pausable plan, and why a battery backup earns its place on your desk long before any emergency.
- [How Far Will a VHF Radio Reach? Line of Sight, the Horizon, and Ducting](https://emergencyradio.org/vhf-range-ducting/): Why a handheld reaches a few miles but an airplane hundreds - the radio horizon explained - plus tropospheric ducting, the atmospheric trick that occasionally stretches VHF and UHF far past the horizon.
- [The Technician Ham License - What the Exam Is Like and What It Unlocks](https://emergencyradio.org/ham-license/): The FCC Technician exam demystified - 35 public-pool questions, no Morse code, about $50 in fees - and the real capabilities the license opens, from repeaters to satellites.
- [About EmergencyRadio.org](https://emergencyradio.org/about/): Who runs this site, where it came from, why the data is trustworthy, and the editorial rules it follows.
- [Affiliate Disclosure](https://emergencyradio.org/disclosure/): How EmergencyRadio.org is funded, what affiliate links mean, and the rules that keep recommendations independent.
- [Glossary - Emergency and Ham Radio Terms in Plain English](https://emergencyradio.org/glossary/): Every radio and emergency-prep term this site uses, defined plainly and listed alphabetically, cross-linked, with links to the full guides.
- [Equipment Review Program](https://emergencyradio.org/review-program/): EmergencyRadio.org's equipment review program - how to submit, how we review, the 72-hour accuracy check, and the full program terms.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes by State](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/): Every US county's NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code, organized by state, from official NWS data.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Alabama](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/alabama/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Alabama, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Alaska](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/alaska/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Alaska, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in American Samoa](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/american-samoa/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in American Samoa, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Arizona](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/arizona/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Arizona, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Arkansas](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/arkansas/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Arkansas, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in California](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/california/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in California, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Colorado](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/colorado/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Colorado, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Connecticut](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/connecticut/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Connecticut, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Delaware](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/delaware/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Delaware, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in District of Columbia](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/district-of-columbia/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in District of Columbia, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Florida](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/florida/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Florida, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Georgia](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/georgia/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Georgia, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Guam](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/guam/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Guam, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Hawaii](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/hawaii/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Hawaii, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Idaho](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/idaho/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Idaho, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Illinois](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/illinois/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Illinois, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Indiana](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/indiana/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Indiana, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Iowa](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/iowa/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Iowa, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Kansas](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/kansas/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Kansas, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Kentucky](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/kentucky/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Kentucky, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Louisiana](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/louisiana/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Louisiana, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Maine](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/maine/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Maine, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Maryland](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/maryland/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Maryland, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Massachusetts](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/massachusetts/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Massachusetts, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Michigan](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/michigan/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Michigan, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Minnesota](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/minnesota/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Minnesota, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Mississippi](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/mississippi/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Mississippi, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Missouri](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/missouri/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Missouri, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Montana](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/montana/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Montana, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Nebraska](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/nebraska/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Nebraska, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Nevada](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/nevada/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Nevada, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in New Hampshire](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/new-hampshire/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in New Hampshire, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in New Jersey](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/new-jersey/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in New Jersey, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in New Mexico](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/new-mexico/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in New Mexico, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in New York](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/new-york/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in New York, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in North Carolina](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/north-carolina/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in North Carolina, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in North Dakota](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/north-dakota/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in North Dakota, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Northern Mariana Islands](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/northern-mariana-islands/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Northern Mariana Islands, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Ohio](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/ohio/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Ohio, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Oklahoma](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/oklahoma/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Oklahoma, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Oregon](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/oregon/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Oregon, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Pennsylvania](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/pennsylvania/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Pennsylvania, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Puerto Rico](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/puerto-rico/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Puerto Rico, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Rhode Island](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/rhode-island/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Rhode Island, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in South Carolina](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/south-carolina/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in South Carolina, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in South Dakota](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/south-dakota/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in South Dakota, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Tennessee](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/tennessee/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Tennessee, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Texas](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/texas/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Texas, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in U.S. Virgin Islands](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/u-s-virgin-islands/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in U.S. Virgin Islands, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Utah](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/utah/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Utah, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Vermont](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/vermont/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Vermont, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Virginia](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/virginia/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Virginia, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Washington](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/washington/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Washington, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in West Virginia](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/west-virginia/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in West Virginia, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Wisconsin](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/wisconsin/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Wisconsin, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.
- [NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies & SAME Codes in Wyoming](https://emergencyradio.org/weather-radio/wyoming/): Every NOAA Weather Radio frequency and SAME alert code in Wyoming, by county, from official NWS data - program your weather radio in minutes.