NWR HISTORY IN LOUISIANA

Why was NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) initiated?

NWR began in Louisiana as a way to bring critical NWS information to the marine community. It was soon realized how beneficial this service would be to inland communities as well. In the Southern Region, eight transmitters were installed to service marine interests. The first transmitter in the Southern Region was in Baton Rouge.

When were NWR transmitters installed around Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast?

Even though the broadcast remains much the same, the broadcast equipment and the public's receivers have changed through the years.

Since the onset of NWR, NWS offices have used large and bulky equipment with tapes similar to 8 tracks. Even though several units were used, the technology remained the same. In 1995, equipment was received to improve the quality and reliability of the broadcast. Digital technology has allowed offices to record broadcasts on digital carts, a great improvement from the pre-8 track days.

NWR receivers have also changed through the years. Large bulky units and weather cubes have been replaced by crystal controlled units with 1050Hz alarm sensitivity. Modern units alert the user with a "shrieking" tone to wake them during severe weather. Some modern units also include all 7 NWR frequencies, external antenna jacks, external ear phone jacks, AM/FM radio, external alarm jacks (pillow vibrator or strobe light for the sight or hearing impaired), or any number of features. In the future, Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) technology allows the reception of specific information for a specific geographic area only.

---

If you have questions about the NWR program, never hesitate to contact us.

email to: NOAA Weather Radio Focal Point