NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Of all the ways to prepare for severe weather, one that we often lack is multiple ways to receive weather alerts. Typically we just rely on the TV or our cell phone. But if the power goes out and cell service is locked up, where can we turn for crucial information needed in a moment’s notice?

We want to propose that having more than one way to receive weather information is key in your safety during a storm. The two primary ways we recommend are with the News 2 Weather Authority App and a NOAA Weather Radio.

NOAA Weather Radio

You can be alerted of hazardous weather 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The weather radio can stay silent until a severe weather alert is issued for your county. Most importantly, when you are asleep, the weather radio has a high-frequency noise it makes that can wake you up in the event of a weather alert for your county. These radios run off of electricity, but have battery backups when power is cut off to your area.

These radios can be bought at your local grocery or hardware store. To program your radio, follow this guide from the National Weather Service.

News 2 Weather App

Alerts can also be sent to you from Your Weather Authority Team. It is important to check your app store for any software updates.

With our weather app, you’ll want to go into the settings and make sure that your notification settings are set to make noise when an alert is issued. In the settings, also review the types of weather notifications you would like to receive (from lightning alerts to winter storm warnings).

Finally, setup your locations. You can choose up to 10 locations to be notified of weather alerts for.

Setting up these alerts on your phone & with the weather radio can take some time. If you need help, News 2’s Meteorologist Marcus Bagwell will gladly assist you. Feel free to send him an email.