When Helene knocked out power and cell service for weeks, how did you stay informed? Radio Asheville is launching a multi-layer emergency alert system so you’re never cut off again:
📻 Analog Radio (103.7 FM) — Works when everything else fails. Keep a battery/solar/crank radio ready.
📱 Satellite Emergency Texts — Newer iPhones and some ***Android phones can receive alerts even when cell towers are down. We’ll send critical warnings via satellite backup. You must have a clear view of the sky to receive satellite messages.
🔐 Signal App Alerts — Encrypted emergency notifications that push through on weak networks. Scroll down on this page to capture the Signal QR code and to sign up for emergency alerts.
🎙️ HAM Radio Reports — Real-time field updates from local amateur radio operators: road closures, water sites, wellness checks, safe routes.
🌦️ NOAA Weather Radio Alerts — Keep your emergency radio tuned (or set to the NOAA weather band) so you’re ready to receive real-time flash flood, landslide, and severe weather warnings.
🏛️ Local Government Notifications — Turn on push notifications from your city/county emergency management system so official local alerts reach your phone directly.
The next storm is coming. Don’t wait until you’re sitting in the dark.📻
The National Weather Service doesn’t recommend one brand of radio over another but it does suggest that people look for receivers that carry the Public Alert and/or the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo. Devices with this logo have been evaluated by the weather service for user friendliness and performance capabilities. The radios cost from $20 to $200.
#RadioIsLifeline #EmergencyPreparedness #AshevilleStrong
ALERTS
What Helene Taught Us
When Hurricane Helene hit, the disaster came on fast. As we took in the damage, confusion and fear spread everywhere. It got worse as we lost the things we depend on every day: power, water, and cell service.
Then people stepped up. Neighbors brought drinking water to people stuck in their homes. They hauled river water so families could flush toilets. They cooked food on outdoor grills before it spoiled and shared it with anyone who needed it. Pack mule teams climbed mountainsides around landslides to reach people who were cut off. Helicopter crews found people to rescue by spotting SOS signals flashed from the lights on emergency radios. That person-to-person help was the silver lining of the storm.
Then came the rumors, many of them spread for political reasons. Rumors spread accusing federal agents of “telling residents their land had been seized, and they were about to bulldoze Chimney Rock.” So they could take the lithium underground. Others claimed FEMA or other agencies were there to seize property, not to help. This was deliberate disinformation aimed at a region already devastated. It spread fear when people needed the truth most, and it made it harder for help to reach them.
Disasters bring out the best and the worst in people. Two years later, we are still coming out of the shock, and recovery will take years.
#HurricaneHelene #WesternNC #WNCStrong #NCWX #NCEmergency #RadioIsYourLifeline #EmergencyRadio #WPVM