Cellphones, Smartphones to Get Severe Weather Messages

Imagine you're driving down the highway, humming along to your favorite tunes, when your cellphone makes a strange noise and a message pops up on the screen warning you of a nearby tornado.

This futuristic-sounding, potentially lifesaving technology will become a reality next week with the rollout of a nationwide Wireless Emergency Alerts system.

Beginning Monday, June 18, users of newer cellphones and smartphones automatically will begin receiving tornado warnings and other weather emergency notifications from the National Weather Service.

"I think this could be a real game-changer," said Tod Pritchard, emergency preparedness coordinator for Wisconsin Emergency Management. "Almost everyone has a cellphone now, and this really allows us to get warning information to people directly in harm's way."

With the high rate of cellphone penetration in today's society, the technology has the potential to reach more people sooner than traditional alert methods, and studies show increasing warning time is the best way to improve survival rates in severe weather incidents, said Tom Hurley, emergency management coordinator for Eau Claire County.

"The benefits, I think, will be tremendous," Hurley said. "Public safety is growing up."

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The WEA system calls for warnings about tornadoes, blizzards, ice storms and flash flooding to be sent to cellphone towers in affected areas, where text-type messages automatically will be forwarded to mobile phones and indicate the type of event, the time until the alert expires and recommended action.

Such messages could reach travelers passing through the area, people at home but not using broadcast media, and even people canoeing down the Chippewa River or participating in other outdoor activities that are within range of a cellphone tower, Hurley said.

"The more information the public has, especially when it comes to severe weather, the better it is for public safety," said Bruce Brantner, emergency management coordinator for Dunn County.

The WEA system is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System known as IPAWS. Hurley said it is his understanding that the alerts will reach most cellphones capable of receiving the Internet. The wireless industry estimates that by 2014 almost all cellphones on the market will be WEA-capable, according to Wisconsin Emergency Management.

While emergency government officials hailed the text alerts as a great new tool to complement radio, TV, Internet and local siren warnings, they all require recipients to take appropriate safety measures.

Related:  Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

"We have a lot of great technologies now, but if you don't listen to the warnings, it's all a bunch of junk," Pritchard said. "If you don't take action quickly, your life could be at risk."

That means promptly seeking more information and, if necessary, taking evasive action such as heading to the basement or, for motorists, seeking shelter in a public building or the lowest possible place outside of your car.

While the new system is an important step by the federal government to keep up with changing technology, Brantner said, it won't make obsolete a key safety tip Brantner long has offered local residents: Invest in a weather alert radio. Such radios automatically broadcast local weather alerts, even when people are sleeping.

A shortcoming both Brantner and Hurley mentioned about the new wireless system is that, at least initially, alerts won't be issued for warnings about severe thunderstorms such as the one May 24 that produced wind speeds of up to 60 mph and downed power lines and thousands of trees on the north and west sides of Eau Claire.

"Statistics show more people are injured or killed and more property damage occurs from thunderstorms than from tornadoes," Brantner said. "I would definitely advocate for including severe thunderstorm warnings in the cellphone warning system."

The WEA system is the first part of a national program to alert the public by text messaging. Later this year, state, tribal and local emergency officials will be able to issue other types of alerts on cellphones, such as Amber Alerts for child abduction or evacuation orders during local emergencies.

Lindquist can be reached at 715-833-9209, 800-236-7077 or [email protected].