Chapter 1 · Fundamentals
1.8 Alerts: how to find out in time
Don't depend on a single channel. In an outage the internet fails; in a flood in the early morning hours you may be asleep. Use at least three.
Watch and warning: they are not the same
| NWS term | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Watch | Conditions are favorable for the hazard to occur | Get ready: charge phones, check the kit, decide where you would go. |
| Warning | The hazard is occurring or is imminent | Act now: take shelter or get out, depending on the danger. |
The Systems
| System | How it reaches you | Registration required? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEA (Wireless Emergency Alerts) | Message with a special sound on your cell phone, sent to all compatible phones in the affected area | No | Check that they are turned on: on iPhone, Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts; on Android, Settings > Safety and emergency > Wireless emergency alerts. Presidential alerts cannot be turned off. |
| EAS (Emergency Alert System) | Interrupts radio, television, cable, and satellite | No | National system; serves as a backup when others fail. |
| NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) | Special radio that turns itself on with an alert tone | No | Look up your county's SAME code and your NOAA station's frequency at weather.gov, and program them into the radio. |
| Your city or county alert system | Call, text, or email | Yes, free | You can register your home, work, and other addresses. Find out how to sign up on your city or county website. |
| AHAS (Accessible Hazard Alert System) | Alerts in sign language (ASL), voice, and text | Yes | For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind. |
| Flood alert service for your area | Map of low-water crossings closed by water | No | Many counties have sensors, lights, and barriers at low crossings prone to flooding; check whether yours offers a map or alert service. |
| Official social media | X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts of your city or county and your local National Weather Service (NWS) office | Follow accounts | Useful, but they depend on the internet. |
- Check today that your cell phone has emergency alerts turned on.
- Register each adult in your city or county alert system with their cell phone and home and work addresses.
- Buy a NOAA radio with SAME alerts and a battery, program it with your county's SAME code, and leave it in the bedroom.
- If someone in your household needs special help in an evacuation (mobility, oxygen, dialysis), register them in your state's emergency assistance registry (look for it on your state's emergency management website).
- Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank AM/FM radio for local news when there is no internet.
