Preparedness tool

NOAA Weather Radio / SAME Setup Wizard

Find NOAA Weather Radio SAME codes and transmitter frequency options for your home, CERT team, neighborhood group, or travel kit. Enter a ZIP, city/state, or county/state, then verify the result against official NOAA/NWS information before relying on it.

Use this as a planning aid. Verify SAME codes, transmitter coverage, frequency, and transmitter status with NOAA/NWS before relying on a radio setup. HazardNow does not replace official alerts, sirens, WEA, evacuation orders, emergency services, or local emergency-management instructions.

Check the live HazardNow dashboard

Use this page to understand this planning topic. Use the live dashboard to see current alerts, infrastructure stress, weather, wildfire, travel, public-health, supply-chain, and stability indicators in one place.

Open Live Dashboard See what HazardNow tracks

Setup wizard

Find your SAME code and transmitter options

Find the SAME code and NOAA Weather Radio transmitter options to program your weather radio. Enter a ZIP, city/state, or county/state, then verify the result against official NOAA/NWS information before relying on it.

Lookup result

Your radio setup

Resolved location: District of Columbia, DC

SAME code011001

Primary candidate transmitterKEC83

162.400 MHz

Status: NORMAL · Coverage: All

Recommendation: Program this SAME code for your county. Test these frequencies and use the clearest station that officially covers your county. If multiple transmitters cover your county, try each frequency and choose the clearest reliable signal.

Official verification link: Official NWS county coverage for DC

Use this as a planning aid. Verify SAME codes, transmitter coverage, frequency, and transmitter status with NOAA/NWS before relying on a radio setup. HazardNow does not replace official alerts, sirens, WEA, evacuation orders, emergency services, or local emergency-management instructions.

Other transmitter options

Callsign	Frequency	Status	Coverage
KHB36	162.550 MHz	NORMAL	All
WNG736	162.450 MHz	NORMAL	All

Normal status and all-county coverage are ranked first when available; terrain and building placement still determine what your radio hears.

Counties to consider

District of Columbia, DC
Adjacent-county data is not included in this lookup; consider adjacent counties based on commute, school, work, caregiving, evacuation routes, travel corridors, and places you may sleep overnight.
For household use, consider work, school, childcare, caregiver, medical, and out-of-area family counties if alerts from those places are actionable.

Mode-specific guidance

Program this SAME code for your home county first, then add verified work, school, caregiver, or evacuation-route counties if they matter to your household.
Keep backup batteries installed, place the radio where it can wake sleeping people, and re-test reception after moving furniture or electronics.
If multiple transmitters cover your county, try each frequency and choose the clearest reliable signal in the normal radio location.

Frequency reference

NOAA Weather Radio uses seven VHF frequencies. Your county result above narrows the official candidates; if you cannot receive them, use NWS Station Search and local NWS pages for next steps.

162.400 · 162.425 · 162.450 · 162.475 · 162.500 · 162.525 · 162.550 MHz

Programming checklist

Set the radio to SAME or county-code mode according to the receiver manual.
Enter the SAME code for the county you want the radio to alert for.
Select alert types according to household, team, or travel needs and the receiver manual.
Tune to the clearest frequency that officially covers the county.
Keep backup batteries installed and replace them on a schedule.
Keep the radio where reception is reliable and where alerts can be heard.

Reception test checklist

Test reception at the normal radio location, not just beside a window during setup.
Test on battery power so you know the radio works during an outage.
Try each listed frequency and write down the clearest reliable option.
Verify regular weekly test reception when tests are available and conditions allow.
Move the radio near a window or higher shelf if reception is poor, then test again.

Printable radio card

Household radio setup card

Keep one card near the radio and one with household, team, or travel documents.

County/stateDistrict of Columbia, DC

SAME code011001

Frequency162.400 MHz

CallsignKEC83

Backup frequency optionsKHB36 162.550; WNG736 162.450

Verification date2026-05-30

Household notes / out-of-area contactWrite household/team notes here.

Out-of-area contactName / phone / alternate alert path

Official verification links

Loading NOAA Weather Radio setup wizard…

Why SAME setup matters

SAME-capable NOAA Weather Radios can be programmed for specific counties or marine areas so the radio can wake up for alerts relevant to the places you choose. The safest setup is the one you verify officially, test in the room where it will be used, and back up with other alert paths.

More HazardNow tools

Practical planning helpers

Explore the rest of the standalone emergency planning tools. They are informational only and do not replace official alerts or instructions.

View all tools

Decision Support

NOAA Weather Radio / SAME Setup Wizard

Check the live HazardNow dashboard

Find your SAME code and transmitter options

Your radio setup

Other transmitter options

Counties to consider

Mode-specific guidance

Frequency reference

Programming checklist

Reception test checklist

Household radio setup card

Official verification links

Why SAME setup matters

Practical planning helpers

Action Planner

Readiness Gap Analyzer

Disaster History

Food System Planner

Outage Survival

Power Outage Triage

Find your SAME code and transmitter options

Your radio setup

Other transmitter options

Counties to consider

Mode-specific guidance

Frequency reference

Programming checklist

Reception test checklist

Household radio setup card

Official verification links