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Carolina Curious: Why Are Weather Alerts Sometimes Hard To Understand?

The antenna tower outside of WFDD studios. EDDIE GARCIA/WFDD

One of the services that radio stations like WFDD provide is broadcasting alerts from the National Weather Service. These emergency alerts let listeners know about weather concerns, helping folks stay safe. With Hurricane Florence being on track to hit the East Coast this week, and a state of emergency in place in North Carolina, these types of messages are important.

And many times, those announcements are clear. But sometimes, those messages are clear as mud. You may have heard one that was a little noisy, or distorted, and felt frustrated that you couldn't decipher it.

Listener Howard Covington shares your concern.

He asks, “Why in an era of broadcasting advances can't the weather service produce an alert that can be easily understood?”

Covington feels that with modern technology, we should hear crisp audio.

“Here you have a government agency

Eddie Garcia is WFDD’s News Director. He is responsible for planning coverage, editing stories, and leading an award-winning news team as it serves the station’s 32-county listening area. He joined WFDD as an audio production intern in 2007 and went on to hold various roles, including producer, Triad Arts Weekend co-host, reporter, and managing editor. When he’s not working, Eddie enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, and watching films.

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