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Several systems can warn you when an emergency strikes, and they reach you in different ways: a buzz on your phone, a message across a TV screen, a weather radio, and an app. WEAs are free and need no subscription, but some phone models require you to enable them, so it is worth checking your settings.
The five at a glance
| System | How it reaches you | Who can send |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) | Short messages to WEA-enabled phones in a targeted local area | State, local, tribal and territorial officials, the National Weather Service, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the President |
| Emergency Alert System (EAS) | Broadcast TV and radio, satellite audio, direct broadcast satellite, cable and wireless cable | The President for national alerts, which can address the nation within 10 minutes; other federal, state, local, tribal and territorial authorities for weather, imminent threats, AMBER alerts and local incidents |
| NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards | A nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting from the nearest National Weather Service office, based on where you are | The National Weather Service, which broadcasts warnings, watches and forecasts 24 hours a day, plus non-weather emergencies relayed through EAS |
| Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) | FEMA's national system for local alerting: one message can go out to WEA, EAS and weather radios, and to sirens and digital billboards | Local alerting authorities themselves. FEMA does not review, edit or approve alerts |
| FEMA App | Real-time National Weather Service alerts for up to five locations | The Weather Service; the app also finds shelters and shows whether your area is eligible for FEMA help |
A Wireless Emergency Alert, such as an AMBER Alert, on a phone (Ready.gov illustration).
Wireless Emergency Alerts
WEAs look like text messages but arrive with a distinctive sound and vibration, repeated twice. They are not slowed by network congestion and do not interrupt texts, calls or data sessions in progress. You are not charged for them and do not subscribe. Children receive them too, so parents and guardians should talk with them about the alerts and what to do.
If you are not receiving them:
- Check your phone's settings and manual. Older phones may not support WEA, and some models require you to switch it on. Some carriers call the messages Government Alerts or Emergency Alert Messages.
- Ask your wireless provider. All major carriers and some smaller ones take part, and the Federal Communications Commission keeps a registry of participating providers.
- To comment on alerts sent in your area, contact your local officials directly.
Emergency Alert System
Only the president decides when the national-level EAS is activated, and FEMA and the FCC run national tests and exercises. The system is also used when all other ways of alerting the public are unavailable.
How the pieces connect
IPAWS sends one message through EAS, WEA and NOAA Weather Radio (Ready.gov graphic).
Alerts through IPAWS can be targeted so only devices in the affected area receive them. Receiving or sending IPAWS alerts is free, though an alerting authority may pay a small amount for IPAWS-compatible software.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Alerts, Ready.gov; rewritten in hubnx's own words.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from www.ready.gov
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