A lightning storm close enough to hear the sizzle and smell the ozone...

[Ian David]

... and my NOAA Weather Alert Radio doesn't make a peep.



Actual model that I own



However, during RainPocalypse, it *did* wake me up at 3 AM, every day, to remind me that the non-stop rain we'd been having for a week is causing flooding.

You know, in case you hadn't noticed yet. http://bostonist.com/2010/03/28/rainpocalypse_massachusetts_flood_watch.php

And were thinking of fording a stream in your car at 3 AM.

And then, for good measure, it woke me up at midnight to let me know when the flood warning was over.

If NOAA doesn't get their shit together, people will mothball these radios, and won't have them handy when it could actually save lives.

And if THAT happens, then Rick Santorum wins. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/4/21/191656/998

[Ian David]

1. Oh, wait! Over an hour after the storm starts, *NOW* I get the warning.

And the warning ends in about 30 minutes.

It's really scaring the crap out of my cat.

[virgogal]

2. I thought I heard some rumbling off in the distance. eom

[csziggy]

3. I took the batteries out of mine the fourth time it did a test alarm at 4AM

I can see testing it every so often, but four times in a row in the middle of the f**king night? That was after they gave up testing it at the same time every week - I think that was 3 PM on Wednesdays - and I ignored the tornado warning that went out at, yep, 3 PM one Wednesday.

While a weather radio that gave effective warnings would be useful, so far I have not found the current models as implemented to be better than nuisances.

[Javaman]

4. I love it when the air crackles.

I love the storms here in texas.

[foxfeet]

5. We just don't get good thunderstorms in Seattle.

A rumble here and there, occasionally lightning actually hits something, but not the good ol' barn burners like in the Midwest or South. I miss them.