Weather Alerts on Your Hearing Aid

How Do I Know If There Is a Severe Weather Alert?

When severe weather occurs, the common way to be alerted is through an auditory method. Local authorities all have their own signals that they send out to the community. Your smartphone pushes out weather alerts from the National Weather Service to keep you informed. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, these methods may not be the most effective for alerting you in the case of an emergency. If you have a hearing aid, however, there are some ways to get alerts for severe weather to help keep you safe, which is especially important if you live in an area where extreme weather is common.

Bluetooth Hearing Aids
If you have a Bluetooth compatible hearing aid that is connected to your smartphone, there are many apps available that will alert you directly through your hearing aid in the case of inclement weather. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather app can send alerts directly to your hearing aid as they occur, keeping you up to date on weather news. Keeping your hearing aid connected to your phone for alerts is a highly effective way to stay safe in an extreme weather situation. This is useful for when you are wearing your hearing aid and awake; however, you may need other methods of alert if you wear a hearing aid sporadically or are sleeping.

Weather Alerts for the Hard of Hearing

There are many store-bought radios called All-Hazards Radios that can be purchased with features to assist the deaf or hard of hearing. These devices come with visual and vibrating features as well as text readouts to assist you in staying up to date on emergency weather alerts. They can be programmed for your specific area, are portable, and are battery operated, perfect for use in an emergency weather situation. There are assistive features being added all the time.
If you are concerned about alerts occurring while you are asleep, there are many options offered by the National Weather Service that can help give you peace of mind. If you have a home security system, you may also be able to connect your receiver to your alert system. This would work similar to a doorbell or fire alarm in your home. Some receivers can be purchased with an output connector that will send a non-verbal alert, such as bed or pillow shakers, or strobe lighting.

Weather Alert Peace of Mind

If you have concerns about what to do in the case of extreme weather if you have a hearing aid, you can learn about the assistive technology features for your hearing aid by asking the manufacturer or your audiologist at time of purchase. You can also contact the National Weather Service to see what services are available to the deaf and hard of hearing regarding assistive technology for weather alerts. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Elite Hearing Centers today.