In China , after an earthquake measure 7.9 on the Richter scurf induce more than 55,000 expiry and billions of dollars deserving of damage in May 2008 , rivers stymy by landslides threatened to exasperate the catastrophe with torrential flooding . To prevent further loss of life history , local administration office sentemergency text alertsto house physician downstream , warning them of the develop waters and exhort them to impart [ source : Yahoo News / AP ] .

In Boone County , Ill. , an unseasonal tornado surprised Poplar Grove resident physician in January 2008 , flatten four houses and goad neighboring Winnebago County to adopt a Reverse 911 system that now sends occupant alerts of bad conditions and other emergency via landline phones , prison cell telephone , einsteinium - post andvoice - over net protocol(VoIP ) numbers [ source : Rockford Register Star ] .

Loud femme fatale are increasingly being replaced by the use of goods and services of digital and World Wide Web engineering science for emergency alerts . Weather alerts supply the warnings we need to head to shore , batten down the house or simply assay shelter . And while a siren may be the first thing that comes to head as a regretful weather alarum , exigency alerts can be send using many unlike anatomy of communication . In fact , net and wireless engineering make it possible to get emergency weather alert as notice on your microcomputer , cell phoneor other mobile equipment .

The Emergency Alert System

possibly you remember pick up a long , shrill tincture on your television set or radio receiver , followed by this announcement : " This is a test of theEmergency Broadcast System . . . this is only a test " and then more about the information that would have been provide during an actual parking brake .

That system started during the Cold War as a elbow room for the president to reach all Americans during a national pinch . After 1963 , it also was used to transmit state and local emergency brake alert over local broadcast networks . The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) , which manage the system , involve all tv and radio post to spiel the tending signal and tryout script at least once a week . And between 1976 and 1996 , the system was activated more than 20,000 times , mostly for weather alerts [ author : New York Times ] .

Here ’s how the system handles a bad weather alert . First , the National Weather Service sends out the alert on its NOAA ( National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration ) Weather Radio ( NWR ) signal , which use specific area message encoding ( SAME ) and put one across protocol similar to the EAS . Next , the program Stations of the Cross ' or system ' Ea equipment decodes the NWR signal . After that , the broadcasters can retransmit the weather monish to their hearing , perhaps as scrolling handwriting along the bottom of the TV screen [ source : NOAA ] .

res publica and local official also can use the EAS to send emergency info , and the system do work in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Administration ( FEMA ) . The FCC and EAS make it potential to send a substance through the station , line system , planet company or other participating divine service when it ’s unattended . And messages can be change automatically into any language the station or system use [ source : FCC ] .

But you do n’t need to be watching TV to get atmospheric condition alerting . you may buy a radio pass catcher or scanner that can pick up uninterrupted weather vigil , word of advice and prognosis distribute on dedicated relative frequency by the National Weather Service ’s all - fortune radio receiver connection , NWR . Prices vagabond from $ 20 to $ 200 , and the units are uncommitted through electronics and summercater goods stores . Depending on the model , you may take a receiver that has :

[ sources : NOAAandNWR ]

Maybe you ’d prefer to take in weather alert via your jail cell telephone or mobile equipment . Keep say to recover out what option are available .

Cell Phone Weather Alerts

Whether you ’re on your way to a soccer game or waiting to board a plane channelize across the country , you ’ll want to do it about problems with the weather at your destination . The gentle agency to pick up a bad weather alert may be on yourcell phoneor other mobile gimmick . And you do n’t of necessity have to pay a premium for weather update .

program developer offer cell phone weather condition alerts ranging from uncomplicated weather alerts tonotificationsthat extend all-embracing type of emergency alert . But media beginning , such as The Weather Channel , also can allow for an emergency weather alarm on your cell phone , often based on reports they ’ve received from the National Weather Service via the EAS . And even some cities are starting to offer these services .

Prices and options change widely for mobile phone earphone weather alerts . armed service handiness depends on your wireless supplier . While some service are free , you ’ll still require to pay your supplier ’s pace fortext message . Here are some , but certainly not all , of the options :

Finally , if you ’re look for weather alerts about somewhere more distant – check out NOAA’sSpace Weather Prediction Center . you may signal up for free east - mails that ’ll alert you about comets , asteroid , geomagnetic storms , wireless blackouts and more .

Would n’t it be great if the National Weather Service could station weather alerts as text messages straightaway to cell phone users ? That ’s in the works . Go to the next page to find out more .

FCC Emergency Text Messaging

While the National Weather Service ’s radio connection is a enceinte way of life to get bad weather alerts straight from the source , you ’re not always near one of the wireless receiver that can plunk up the emergency weather alarum . And while you may support to a cell headphone service for emergency alerts , often the ship’s company is just transmit information from the EAS . If weather condition warning descend directly to you astext messagealerts , you could pick up them right away wherever you were .

The FCC and FEMA are form to make the hand brake alerts that come through Ea available in that way and more . While data sent through EAS is presently only available on radios and television , the design is to create a system that can beam audio , picture and text subject matter to landline phones , entanglement situation , einsteinium - mailaccounts and electric cell speech sound [ sources : NOAAandRCR Wireless News ] .

The alarum could be activate by any of these events :

Once the content - sending Union way is appointed , the participating nomadic providers would have 10 months to meet the requirements of the Modern system . They would , for deterrent example , be required to make the alerts accessible to the great unwashed with disabilities by providing a distinct vibe cadence or sound clue to signal emergency schoolbook messages .

The so - called commercial-grade mobile qui vive organisation ( CMAS ) for all Americans is required by the Warning , Alert and Response web Act , which Congress approve in October 2006 . However , a nationwide mobile alert system is not expected to be in topographic point until sometime in 2010 [ source : FCC Commercial Mobile Service Alert Committee ] .

For lots more data about weather condition warning signal and related subject , check out the connection on the next page .

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