Not all life preservers are round and float. A battery-powered weather radio can help save lives by enabling us to be best prepared for approaching severe weather. Brad Small, senior forecaster at the Johnston office of the National Weather Service, says weather radios are great tools.This is Severe Weather Awareness Week as Iowans are reminded about the dangers we sometimes face living in this part of the country. Small says some weather radios enable the owner to pick and chose what type of weather information they’ll receive.Small says people should always be alert for severe weather to break out, and know where to seek shelter no matter where they are.New weather transmitter sites have been activated in the last year near St. Ansgar, Marshalltown, Carroll, Lenox, Montezuma, and Lake Rathbun. Proposed transmitter sites as part of the weather service’s upgrading of the weather radio network include: Wesley, Eldora, Milford, Sanborn, Storm Lake, Hancock, Essex, Osceola, Decorah, Maquoketa, Charter Oak, and Panora.