Weather Safety for Individuals with Disabilities

Every day, extreme weather events impact individuals and communities across the country. Severe weather affects everyone, but can pose unique and difficult challenges for people with disabilities. In an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation for all, the NWS provides various resources.

Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community Accommodations
The storm safety slogan “When thunder roars, go indoors” is widely known and used across the country to promote safe practices. Additionally, meteorologists at the NWS developed the slogan “See a flash, dash inside!” specifically with the deaf and hard of hearing communities in mind.

The NOAA All-Hazards Radio communicates weather information to the hearing-impaired. Although the notification system for the radio is primarily auditory, many off-the-shelf All-Hazard Radios can notify users via visual/tactile features, including vibration patterns and text readouts of incoming alerts. These radio systems are portable, battery-powered, and programmable to any state/county.

To read more NWS support for this community, and to access sign-language safety videos, visit weather.gov/wrn/dhh-safety.

Intellectual Disability Accommodations
To aid individuals with intellectual disabilities, the NWS has created symbol-supported weather safety materials that cover a wide range of weather categories. This way, individuals in all geographical areas can have relevant information and can better understand extreme weather hazards. For more information about these materials, go to: weather.gov/wrn/intellectualdisabilities.