Emergency alerts will automatically get sent to your phone, but you may want to double-check to make sure they are turned on.

Storm Season in the Tri-State

Every time the seasons begin to change, the changes in the weather can cause storms.  Unfortunately for us in the Tri-State, we are no strangers to severe weather hitting our area.    In fact, this coming weekend (March 14th & 15th), our area is under an enhanced risk for severe storms, so it is important to make sure you have a way to receive information in the event of an emergency.

I will never forget last spring when I was pulling into work at 5 in the morning only to get startled by a loud alert coming through my phone.  The alert said there was a confirmed tornado on the ground and where it was heading was in the direction of my house where my husband and son were sleeping.  I called Sam in a panic and thankfully woke him up in enough time for him to get our son up and get him into our tornado safe area.  Luckily, we were spared any damage or issues, but many others weren't as lucky that day.  Ever since then, when I know severe weather is on the way, I always double check to see that my emergency alerts are turned on.

Wireless Emergency Alerts

We are all familiar with the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which was created as a way to get emergency information out to the American people as quickly as possible. While the EAS is still a critical way of getting out emergency information, the government created Wireless Emergency Alerts in 2012 to get that information directly to your cell phone.

Who Sends Out Wireless Emergency Alerts?

According to FEMA, WEAs are sent by state and local public safety officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the President. They use a unique sound and vibration along with an alert on your phone to get the emergency information to you ASAP.  However, with severe weather on the way, it may not hurt to double-check that these alerts are turned on.

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How to Make Sure Emergency Alerts Will Go To Your Phone

You can turn emergency alerts on or off on your phone, and it's really easy to do in just a few steps.

For an Apple device:

• Settings > Notifications.
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
• Under Government Alerts, turn the type of alert on or off.

For an Android device:

• On your Android device, open Settings.
• Tap Notifications > Wireless emergency alerts.
• Select the alerts you want to receive.