Remember Your Car’s AM Radio When Disaster Strikes

Now that we have the upper hand on the California wildfires, attention has shifted to what can be done to prepare for the next disaster. We see stories about homes able to withstand the flames while many of neighboring homes in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena regions burned to the ground. Ember-retardant attic and cellar vents is one of the hottest topics. Fire-retardant paint and sprays, ample distance between exterior walls and shrubbery, sealed roof overhangs, and auxiliary water supplies have all entered the water cooler discussions. Let’s add another one: AM car radios.

Portable AM radios are often listed among the basic survival kit items one should keep in case of emergencies. However, the last time Los Angeles experienced a wind like the one in January was 14 years ago in 2011. Will you remember where you kept your portable AM radio after 14 years? And if you do, will the batteries have corroded by then, making the unit inoperable?

When the Eaton fire could be seen from our front yard in Monrovia, the power went out. And then for several moments that evening, our phone reception also went out. We managed to find our wind-up flashlight with the built-in AM radio. Unfortunately, the radio only came in intermittently after each wind-up. It felt strange to not have any contact with the outside world. But without phone reception and without a properly working AM radio, we didn’t know what was going on, aside from the unrelenting wind we can feel and the glowing flames we can see from the mountains above our front yard.

And then I remembered one of our cars had an AM radio. And unlike the rest of the home, the radio in the car worked just fine. Once back in touch with the world, we received the word: Prepare to evacuate. So, our Sierra Madre friend retreated to her mother’s home further south and we sought refuge with our daughter in Montebello. Our retreat only lasted a day as the first responders did an excellent job of keeping the fires away from our hillsides. The power was out for another day, but the brief retreat allowed us to recharge our phones and portable electric power station. Phone reception returned, and the city of Monrovia was pretty much back in business by January 9th.

The AM Car Radio for Disaster Preparedness

As you prepare for the next big one, let’s remember the AM car radio. If you’re contemplating a new vehicle, consider one with AM radio access as part of disaster preparedness. Most EVs don’t have AM access, but some do. Ford decided to eliminate AM radio across its entire line for 2024, but then reversed its decision. For 2025, all Ford come with AM radio, as do every Chevrolet and Toyota. A bill is working its way through Congress that appears to have bi-partisan support called the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

It’ll be wise to do some of your own research to make sure the specific model you intend to get is fitted with an AM radio.

The author, Roy Nakano, is Senior Editor of LA Car. A comprehensive list of the 2025 vehicles fitted with AM radios (and those without AM radios) can be viewed in the publication’s report at LACar.com.