Wireless Emergency Alerts coming soon to your phone

The FCC, Department of Homeland Security, National Weather Service and other agencies collaborated to create this system. NOAA weather radios are the way to go to receive weather warnings and updates when you are inside and asleep. Now, a brand new system – launched by wireless carriers and the federal government – that will send weather warnings to your phone. It’ll be implemented later this month. You can receive updates regarding extreme weather events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, tsunamis and blizzards. The system is called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The alerts will be automatic and free for everybody who uses a major network.

Because the system is GPS sensitive, text alerts may vary, according to your location. If a tornado warning is issued for Dallas, Texas, then mobile phone subscribers currently in that city will receive a text with a tornado warning. On the other hand, if your hometown is affected by a tornado warning, and you are elsewhere, then you will not receive a text.

All major wireless carriers have agreed to offer the WEA system to their subscribers. Companies that will support and implement these weather and disaster alerts include AT&T, Cellcom, Cricket, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon Wireless. These companies make up 97% of mobile phone subscribers in the United States.

You will have an option to opt out of receiving weather and AMBER alerts, but you will not be able to opt out of Presidential emergency alerts. If a warning or some type of disaster occurs, you will be notified with a 90 character text that will briefly update you on the situation. But do not rely on just one warning feature to keep you up to date on the weather. If you were to receive an emergency warning text by phone, your next step ideally might be to find another source – such as a NOAA weather radio, local television, or the Internet to find out more. 

Typically when tornado warnings are issued, they are drawn into a polygon that outlines a particular area of where that storm will travel. If you are in that polygon area, then you will receive a text on your phone. Basic tornado watches will not be sent via your phone, by the way.

It is a free service. No sign up is required. WEA will issue not only weather warnings, but it will also issue AMBER alerts and Presidential alerts for emergency situations. Presidential alerts sent via text will not be political. Instead, Presidential alerts will address the nation on an emergency situation that could threaten lives, such as a terrorist attack, should one occur.

The Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Weather Service and other agencies collaborated to create this system. Since the system is new, it will likely be a work in progress. It will be interesting to see how it works and how people will respond to the texts that are issued.