Emergency radio: the kinds, and what to tune to

What is an emergency radio?

It is not a special product. It is any radio that can run without mains power, so that you can hear news and official updates in a power cut (power outage). Ofcom, the United Kingdom's communications regulator, says a radio like this helps you receive weather warnings, news and information from your local authority or the government. Get Ready Queensland ranks a battery radio among the most reliable items in a disaster, above all when power and internet are lost.

Wind-up radio, hand crank radio, battery or solar: the kinds

A wind-up radio and a hand crank radio are the same thing. British and Irish bodies say wind-up. Ontario says crank. The official pages list the kinds side by side and do not rank them.

Check which bands a radio receives before you rely on it. Ofcom names AM, FM and DAB radios. Be Ready names an FM radio.

Can a radio charge a phone? New Zealand's emergency agency says that some solar and battery radios can. See how to charge a phone without electricity.

What official bodies say to tune to, by country

Official bodies name different stations and services, and some name none.

How to set up an emergency radio before you need it

• Find the frequency of your local station now and write it down. The ABC in Australia says to stick the note to the radio. Be Ready in the United Kingdom says to write down the frequencies of the stations you use for news.
• Keep spare batteries with a battery radio.
• Know that the car radio is a backup.
• Check the batteries when you check the rest of your kit. The Northern Territory Government in Australia notes that batteries have expiry dates.

Why keep an emergency radio when phones get alerts?

A phone can get an official alert, but not always. In the United Kingdom, phone masts broadcast the alert, and a phone that is turned off does not get it. New Zealand's Get Ready site says you may not receive an alert if phone towers are damaged or if there is a power cut. Ready.gov in the United States says older phones may not be able to receive its alerts.

Ofcom says severe weather can affect phone and broadband networks, and that the emergency alert system might also give information if mobile networks are available. A battery, wind-up or solar radio is another route for news. It does not use your home power.

Official alert systems use radio too. Canada's Alert Ready sends alerts through television, radio and compatible phones. The United States Emergency Alert System goes out on broadcast radio and television.

What is a weather radio?

In the United States, NOAA Weather Radio is a network of stations that broadcast weather information from the nearest National Weather Service office. Ready.gov says the network also carries alerts for emergencies that are not about weather. A simple AM/FM radio cannot receive it.

So you need a receiver with the weather band. The National Weather Service says that there are receivers made only for this, and multi-band radios that include the weather band. It names these things to look for:

• Tone alarm: the alarm sounds on a receiver that has it, even if the sound is turned off.
• SAME: this lets you choose the area that you want alerts for.
• Battery backup: the Weather Service says this can be crucial, because power cuts often come with storms.
• Logos: the Weather Service does not endorse a make or model, but it says to look for the Public Alert logo or the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo.

Outside the United States, the official pages that we list name no working weather radio network of this kind. Environment Canada says that its Weatheradio service is no longer in service.