These Are the Best Emergency Radios to Keep You Updated During Severe Weather

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It’s no secret that extreme weather events—floods, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes—are getting more frequent and severe. And sometimes, cell phone alerts and county-wide alert systems aren’t reliable. An emergency weather radio can help.

While it might seem like an extreme purchase better suited for The End Times over our modern, cell-phone addicted life, many emergency weather radios cost less than $50, provide regional and weather-specific alerts, and come equipped with multiple backup power sources.

Amber Silver, PhD, an assistant professor in the University at Albany’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, specializes in risk and crisis communication, particularly in the context of severe and hazardous weather. She gave us input on emergency radios, who they’re best for, and some of their drawbacks.

“Unlike regular AM/FM radios, emergency radios provide up-to-date information about watches and warnings,” says Silver. “This is particularly valuable during summer severe weather season, when thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash floods can develop quickly on blue sky afternoons.”

Silver says that many of these units have useful features, such as hand-crank power, solar panels, flashlights, and USB charging ports.

The best emergency weather radios are compact, portable, durable, and have backup power sources—via hand crank, batteries, or solar panels—so you’re never caught with a dead radio. They should also connect to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radio frequencies. They can function as power sources and lights, and connect to standard radio frequencies for local news broadcasts.

What to Consider

Why Use An Emergency Radio?

Emergency radios are particularly valuable for people who spend a great deal of time outdoors, either for work or recreation, where access to television, the internet, or a cell phone is limited.

Many feature hand cranks and solar panels that generate power, while others rely on batteries. Some have screens that push out weather alerts. USB ports lend the ability to double as power stations for those who need to charge phones. Many also have bulbs so they can be used as flashlights, though their wattage is low and should only be used to provide supplemental lighting.

According to Silvers, the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration’s dedicated weather radio (the Midland series) has become a staple in the field.

The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) is responsible for monitoring and predicting changes in climate, the ocean, coasts, and weather. Aptly put by the organization, its reach “goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor.”

The NOAA broadcasts weather warnings and forecasts as the National Weather Radio (NWR) across seven public radio frequencies: 62.400 megahertz, 162.425 MHz, 162.450 MHz, 162.475 MHz, 162.500 MHz, 162.525 MHz, and 162.550 MHz. Your weather radio can tune into each of these frequencies for updates during disasters and emergencies.

The strength of these frequencies depends on your location. Check the NWR coverage map for more on your area’s strongest frequency.

How We Selected

To choose the best emergency weather radios, we looked for reliable, clear reception, multiple backup power options, additional safety features, durable construction, and ease of use. We consulted Amber Silver to ask what qualities are most vital in an emergency radio and prioritized those based on a wide range of needs, budgets, and features. We also used Silvers’s nod to the Midland for our top pick, as it comes recommended by several professionals in the field.

R210 E+READY Emergency Crank WX Emergency Radio

Reliable reception and a loud alert system landed this at the top of our list for emergency weather radios. Like the other radios on this list, this is a portable, compact unit with high levels of weather resistance and durability. You can bring a dead radio back to life with just a few minutes of hand-cranking, and once it has some charge, just one minute of turning the handle can result in up to 10 minutes of radio playback and reception.

This model is rechargeable with a USB-to-AC wall outlet, and the 2000mAh Lithium-ion battery can be charged to full capacity with solar panels or the hand crank. Fully charged, the battery can power this radio for more than 24 hours of use. The alert is loud when emergency messaging comes through your closest NOAA frequency. This is a great model to stash in a go-bag or your glove compartment.

Emergency Crank Weather Radio

Though priced similar to others on this list, this compact radio has the features of a more expensive model without losing reliable connectivity and durability. Like the other radios, this model receives emergency weather forecasts from NOAA and updates from AM/FM stations, and it has a 2000mAh battery equipped with a USB port to keep your phone charged. The hand crank is ergonomic, and it comes with a loud siren for instant alerts.

It can be recharged in a wall outlet via the USB port or run on AAA batteries. It powers up quickly on a sunny day with the solar panels, and works with the crank arm as well. The included LED light is bright enough to read by and doesn’t drain the battery quickly, and it charges fully in a wall outlet in four hours.

Solar Observer AM/FM/Weather Windup Emergency Radio

This durable little model can be powered with AA batteries, solar, a wall AC outlet, or hand crank. Less than two minutes of hand cranking powers the battery for up to 30 minutes of play time, and it has clear AM and FM reception. This is a great option to keep in a car-camping bin, your vehicle, or a go-bag. The USB port is handy for charging small items like a rechargeable flashlight or a smartphone.

Three AA batteries provide up to 60 hours of battery life (though it depends on volume and usage), and the backlit analog display is easy to read in limited light or darkness. This model also has a rechargeable battery with similar playback time when fully charged.

WR120B Emergency Weather Alert Radio

This is not the same as an outdoor-ready, crank-arm capable radio. Rather, think of it like a smoke detector alarm or CO2 detector, albeit a unit that relies on AC power with a battery backup. It sits there quietly until there’s an alert, and you have three different ways to be alerted: flashing lights, voice alert, or a very loud (90 decibels, to be exact) siren.

With a digital readout, this weather radio is styled like an alarm clock with powerful weather-alert capabilities. It’s simple to use and set up, and scans the seven NOAA frequencies until it finds the one with the strongest signal. Additionally, it can lock onto Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) frequencies, which can send you weather alerts based on your county. It’s also capable of receiving all Emergency Alert System (EAS) warnings, which are text and audio alerts localized to your area.

If you truly want to be prepared for weather events, it’s not a bad idea to have this model in your house along with a backup hand-crank radio in your go-bag.

Voyager Pro KA600 Hand Crank Emergency Radio

This is the most advanced model from Kaito’s Voyager line, and can be used as a daily radio as well as an emergency backup. Power options include an AC adapter, a rechargeable battery, AAA batteries, solar panels, or hand-crank.

The solar panels flip 180 degrees to maximize solar charging capabilities, and it fully charges in four hours via solar and less than two hours in an AC wall unit. Activating the solar panel allows the radio play, even with a dead internal battery and no AC power source. This is the most industrial looking unit from our picks, but it comes packed with features, reliable frequency connectivity, and has a headphone jack to work as a wired speaker.

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