Severe Weather Awareness Week: Have Ways to be Alerted

Severe Weather Awareness Week is a great opportunity to make sure you have multiple ways to be alerted when severe weather strikes. The best strategy is to have two or three ways of receiving these weather alerts.

The FREE WHIO Weather App can be one tool you use. You can customize your app and be notified by all types of weather alerts through your phone. Turn off and on the type of alert you want to receive and choose the locations you want to monitor. You will also get the latest forecast and video updates from your Storm Center 7 team all day long.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also sends Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to most cell phones during extreme weather events. You don’t need to sign up for this free service. Many cell phones since 2012 are compatible.

Here is a list of the types of dangerous weather events NWS will send WEA messages for when you are in harms way.

• Dust Storm Warnings
• Extreme Wind Warnings
• Flash Flood Warnings*
• Hurricane/Typhoon Warnings
• Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (Must be considered destructive with 80mph winds or baseball size hail)
• Snow Squall Warnings
• Storm Surge Warnings
• Tornado Warnings
• Tsunami Warnings

A NOAA Weather Radio is another great tool to have in your family’s safety toolkit for severe weather. Weather radios broadcast all types of weather alerts.

Many communities still use tornado sirens as well, but remember, these sirens are meant to alert people who are OUTSIDE. They were never intended to alert people in homes or buildings. They are an added layer of protection in a community, but shouldn’t be the only way to receive weather alerts.

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