Receiving Severe Weather Warnings

[RADIOMAN015]

Surely there's a multitude of ways to receive severe weather warnings in order to take appropriate protective action:

On may if not most military bases, there's the GIANT VOICE public address system that is activated with both tone alert & actual voice announcements.  Also if there's a weather detachment on the base CAP units can get a weather briefing on expected severe weather to include expected arrival time within the base area.  (When we run ES exercises on some of our meeting nights, I have the trainees call base weather to get a report on current weather (temp, humidity, wind (direction, speed) as well as any current for projected severe weather conditions.

IF off base, one can set up their phone/computer to receive text message warnings from the National Weather Service or another commercial provider (for free or a fee) or sometimes some public safety agencies.   Also a weather alert radio receiver (e.g. either portable or a base receiver (with battery backup) is another method and as an example Midland's Model WR-120EZ, will sound an alarm, alarm/voice weather broadcast, and will also have a display of the warning type (e.g. TStorms, Tornado, etc), as well as red lights that will remain on indicating warning, watch or advisory, so if you miss the transmission you can still check quickly.  Additionally many of the radios can be programmed to only receive warning for your specific county or group of counties, as well as the specific warning that you want to hear.

Another method while primarily at a fixed location is to be watching certain local TV channels or "The Weather Channel" (best), since warning will also scroll across the screen.   Some cable TV providers also will broadcast the NOAA weather warning over all cable channels interrupting all other transmissions.

Some communities also have a warning/reverse 911 system that will send a voice and/or text warning message to your telephone, cell phone, or computer, etc.  HOWEVER, it's important to know IF your community system will transmit imminent weather warnings, since some don't BUT only send messages before a large scale storm (e.g. hurricane) or the aftermath, where shelters are located.

Additionally, typical commercial AM & FM radio stations also may transmit warning, although this will vary greatly since many stations are unattended most of the time and just basically transmitting network contents being received via satellite receiver, phone/fiber optic telephone lines, etc. 

Furthermore, amateur radio "hams" support the NWS via the "sky warn" system and just plugging in the radio frequency into your radio scanner for the local repeater supporting this program could yield some real time immediate information on severe weather threats (even before it is relayed to NWS).

Also if you have a CAP radio transceiver and your squadron, group, or wing, has decided to operate a severe weather net, you may be able to get information via this source.

The key issue is not to take lightly any potential severe weather forecasts e.g. severe weather watches and ensure you have a plan to receive the actual warning and know what to do when severe weather is about to enter your area.
RM                             

[sardak]

And now this, which just went live within the last month.  http://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/safety/index.cfm/AID/12082

CTIA-The Wireless Association® and the wireless industry joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer Americans a robust and reliable wireless emergency alert system.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), also known as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) or Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN), is a national emergency alert system to send concise, text-like messages to users' WEA-capable mobile devices starting April 2012. Wireless providers representing nearly 97 percent of subscribers are participating in distributing wireless emergency alerts.

Mobile users will not be charged for receiving these text-like alerts and are automatically enrolled to receive them. 
[You cannot opt out of Presidential alerts, but can opt out of the others.]

There are three different kinds of alerts:

    Presidential Alerts – Alerts issued by the President or a designee;
    Imminent Threat Alerts – Alerts that include severe man-made or natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc., where an imminent threat to life or property exists; and
    AMBER Alerts – Alerts that meet the U.S. Department of Justice's criteria to help law enforcement search for and locate an abducted child. 

FAQs  http://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/safety/index.cfm/AID/12081

Mike

[disamuel]

I recently started using Nixle which is a free service that distributes text messages with all type of emergency alerts including weather warnings. I've had it for a few months, and it works very well:

http://www.nixle.com/

[denverpilot]

Not free, but the new(ish) "Storm Shield" App works very well on Apple iOS devices.

Tracks current location and provides all appropriate NOAA and other alerts (configurable) for the specific area the device is in.

Have been testing it for a few weeks. Seems quite solid when compared with traditional distribution methods. Alerts are timely, etc.

[RADIOMAN015]

And now this, which just went live within the last month.  http://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/safety/index.cfm/AID/12082

CTIA-The Wireless Association® and the wireless industry joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer Americans a robust and reliable wireless emergency alert system.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), also known as Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) or Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN), is a national emergency alert system to send concise, text-like messages to users' WEA-capable mobile devices starting April 2012. Wireless providers representing nearly 97 percent of subscribers are participating in distributing wireless emergency alerts.

Mobile users will not be charged for receiving these text-like alerts and are automatically enrolled to receive them. 
[You cannot opt out of Presidential alerts, but can opt out of the others.]


FAQs  http://www.ctia.org/consumer_info/safety/index.cfm/AID/12081

Mike

It's important to know how your wireless carrier is implementing this system, because some carriers do not support all of their cellphone equipment for receipt of these message and you may have to actually upgrade to a different phone (e.g. TMobile) that will support the receive of this message.  (It's odd that all won't work because when a wireless carrier wants to send a marketing message to anyone on their system, they can do that without requiring any special phone ).

RM 

[Eclipse]

It's important to know how your wireless carrier is implementing this system, because some carriers do not support all of their cellphone equipment for receipt of these message and you may have to actually upgrade to a different phone (e.g. TMobile) that will support the receive of this message.

No national carrier supports CMAS on all of their devices.

[NIN]

Several years ago, when the USAC didn't have the National Cadet Training Center, and we were "intinerant" on different DoD facilities, one of our officers devised a pretty neato alerting system that sent messages to enrolled members via SMS.  Weather alerts were automatic, but we could also inject other notifications for things like major schedule changes or other issues.

It worked pretty well, and was 100% in-house.

[RADIOMAN015]

Several years ago, when the USAC didn't have the National Cadet Training Center, and we were "intinerant" on different DoD facilities, one of our officers devised a pretty neato alerting system that sent messages to enrolled members via SMS.  Weather alerts were automatic, but we could also inject other notifications for things like major schedule changes or other issues.

It worked pretty well, and was 100% in-house.

Probably a good idea for large events that the membership is attending (although likely there's some sort of command post set up (to receive weather warning from the appropriate National Weather Service or military weather detachment) and key personnel have CAP portable radios).   HOWEVER, from a safety all the time basis (away from CAP) one of the direct methods previous posted likely would work best.
RM   

[krnlpanick]

I just use the NWS app for Android - works flawlessly, fairly robust options for customizing when and what alarms to receive and is actual NWS alerts as opposed to a third party.

[Spaceman3750]

Weather alert radios are just fine for me, no need for fancy stuff there. Available at just about every Radio Shack, Best Buy, Wal Mart, and your local Red Cross chapter. The loud tone on mine is nice for letting me know when bad stuff is happening while I'm asleep, I don't hear my phone unless someone actually calls me.

[Brad]

I use OnGuard on my Android, which sends me the full text of the actual NWS alerts for my area complete with tones, and it automatically updates based on my location. Plus I always keep my ham rig on when I'm driving. Our local repeaters rebroadcast storm warnings, and it also has a full weather radio built in. Yaesu FT-7900R