Perhaps it's a coverage limitation or maybe it's that NOAA broadcasts a 100 watt signal while a typical FM station can run at 100,000 watts. There's a serious difference in signal quality. Maybe I'm expecting too much. In any case, get a good antenna.
AM radio runs 250 to 50,000 watts but thats another animal being in the MW band.

NWR broadcasts warnings and post-event information for all types of hazards: weather (e.g., tornadoes, floods), natural (e.g., earthquakes, forest fires and volcanic activity), technological (e.g., chemical releases, oil spills, nuclear power plant emergencies, etc.), and national emergencies (e.g., terrorist attacks). Working with other Federal agencies and the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System (EAS), NWR is an all-hazards radio network, making it the most comprehensive weather and emergency information available to the public.