KEC74 NOAA Weather Radio

A VHF FM station in the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network, one of hundreds of automated transmitters operated across the United States broadcasting weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. The network was first established experimentally in Chicago and New York City in 1960 by the U.S. Weather Bureau, initially for marine weather, before expanding to serve the general public across coastal regions through the 1960s and early 1970s. Broadcasting on dedicated frequencies between 162.400 and 162.550 MHz, the network's routine programming includes local and regional weather forecasts, climate summaries, and zone or coastal waters forecasts. During severe weather events, programming shifts to include hazardous weather outlooks, short-term forecasts, special weather statements, and tropical summaries. The network also carries non-weather emergency notifications sourced through the FCC Emergency Alert System, including Amber alerts, civil emergencies, evacuation orders, and other public safety messages. Automated broadcast technology allows segments to be recycled and regularly updated across individual transmitters. Weather radios tuned to receive these broadcasts are widely available in retail and electronics stores across North America, with particularly strong market penetration in the southern and midwestern states most exposed to severe weather conditions.