The storm knocked everything out. How do I communicate from home?
If the power, internet and cell network all fail, your phone may stop being your connection to the outside world. The solution is not one magic radio. It is a few simple layers that do different jobs.
1. First, make sure information can still reach you
NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24/7. There are two useful ways to cover this job.
Option A: automatic alerts. A S.A.M.E.-capable alert radio can be programmed for your area and can sound alerts even when you are not actively listening. If you choose a desktop model, make sure it has working battery backup so a power outage does not take the radio with it.
Option B: hand-crank emergency radio. For a long outage, a portable NOAA radio with several ways to power itself is an excellent second option. The Midland ER310 can run from its rechargeable battery and can be recharged by solar or hand crank. The current C. Crane CCRadio Solar can use its rechargeable battery, hand crank, solar charging or AA batteries. That means you are not forced to spend your phone power bank just to hear weather information.
The tradeoff: do not assume every crank radio provides the same automatic county-specific alert behavior as a dedicated S.A.M.E. desktop radio. The strongest setup can be a dedicated alert radio for automatic warnings plus a crank/solar radio as the independent long-outage backup.
These are receive-only. They tell you what is happening. They do not let you talk back.
See Midland weather radios →See the Midland ER310 crank radio →See the C. Crane crank/solar radio →Quick reference: what do I tune the weather radio to?
If your radio has a WEATHER, WX or WB switch/button: select that mode first. Many emergency radios step automatically through the seven NOAA Weather Radio channels. Stop on the channel with the clearest continuous weather broadcast for your area.
If your radio has a tuning dial or displays the actual frequency: NOAA Weather Radio uses only these seven frequencies in the United States:
162.425 MHz
162.450 MHz
162.475 MHz
162.500 MHz
162.525 MHz
162.550 MHz
Start at 162.400 and work upward until you hear a clear NOAA broadcast. The best frequency depends on which transmitter serves your location, not simply which state you live in. Terrain can also make a slightly farther transmitter come in better than the closest one.
Important: an ordinary AM/FM-only radio cannot receive these NOAA frequencies. The radio must have a weather band, often marked WX, WB, Weather or NOAA.
Do this while the internet still works: find the NOAA transmitter that serves your home, write its frequency and call sign on a piece of tape or label, and stick it directly on the radio. Also write down one backup NOAA frequency that you can receive. If you have a S.A.M.E. alert radio, save your county code in the radio before the emergency.
Find your local NOAA transmitter →PRIMARY NOAA: __________ MHz CALL SIGN: __________
BACKUP NOAA: __________ MHz CALL SIGN: __________
LOCAL AM NEWS/TALK: __________
LOCAL FM NEWS/TALK: __________
FRS FAMILY CHANNEL: __________
OUT-OF-AREA CONTACT: __________
2. If family is nearby, have a direct way to talk
Give radios to the people or households you actually expect to coordinate with and agree on a channel ahead of time. In the U.S., compliant FRS radios do not require an individual FCC license.
Do not buy based on the giant mileage number on the package. Hills, trees, buildings and terrain can dramatically reduce range. Real neighborhood range can be a fraction of the advertised line-of-sight maximum.
This is the inexpensive answer if the job is simply keeping two people or nearby households in contact.
Buy / see current Midland price →This is the LivSolv sweet spot for most households. It adds NOAA weather capability, rechargeable battery packs and replaceable-battery backup. The ability to fall back to ordinary batteries is especially useful in a long outage.
Buy the Midland T71 pair →If durability matters more than price, this is the step-up FRS option. Remember that the price is per radio, so outfitting two people costs substantially more than a Midland pair.
Buy the Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio →Just need basic nearby communication: Midland T10.
Best balance for most homes: Midland T71.
Want the rugged premium version: Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio.
3. If you need to reach outside the outage
When a regional outage takes local cell service with it, a dedicated satellite communicator gives you a separate route for messages and SOS. This is not a free backup: two-way satellite communicators generally require an active service plan, and they need a useful view of the sky.
This is the lower-cost way into true two-way Iridium satellite messaging. ZOLEO provides two-way messaging, SOS, check-ins and a dedicated SMS number/email address. The tradeoff is important: for normal custom messaging, ZOLEO is designed around pairing with its phone app. The device itself still has dedicated SOS and check-in controls. Current U.S. service starts at $19.99/month and has a three-month minimum term.
Buy ZOLEO / see current price →This is the specific Garmin model LivSolv recommends rather than sending you into Garmin's entire catalog. It uses the Iridium network for global two-way satellite communication, supports interactive SOS, and has exceptionally long battery life. It can also send photo and voice messages when paired with the Garmin Messenger app. Independent 2026 testing from Backpacker selected the Messenger Plus as its best satellite communicator overall.
Buy Garmin inReach Messenger Plus →Why not automatically buy the most expensive Garmin? If the job is emergency communication rather than full handheld GPS navigation, paying for a larger navigation-focused Garmin does not necessarily make you better prepared. For most households, road trips, evacuation kits and off-grid backup, the Messenger Plus is the cleaner communication-first choice.
Want the lowest device cost: ZOLEO.
Want the strongest all-around communication backup: Garmin inReach Messenger Plus.
Already have satellite messaging built into your phone: learn and test it now, but consider a dedicated communicator if satellite contact is a critical part of your emergency plan. Phone satellite features, supported networks and capabilities can change.
Weather radio = information in.
FRS = nearby people talking directly.
Satellite = messaging beyond the local outage.
Do this before the storm
Test the weather radio and know every way it can be powered. If it accepts replaceable batteries, keep the correct spares with it.
If you own a crank radio, practice using it now. A crank is an emergency charging method, not unlimited effortless electricity. Start an outage with the radio charged and use the crank or solar input to extend your independence.
Charge handheld radios and store spare batteries if the model accepts them.
Choose the FRS channel ahead of time with the people you expect to contact.
Activate and test satellite equipment before an emergency. A device sitting in a drawer with no active service is not the same thing as a working satellite backup. Learn how to send a routine message and check-in before the cell network is already gone.
Save your phone power bank for jobs that actually need it. Even without cell service, the phone can still be useful for stored contacts, notes, maps and pairing with compatible satellite devices. A self-powered weather radio keeps routine listening from competing for that limited battery.