When your phone suddenly blares an emergency alert during severe weather, there’s a reason to pay attention.
Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEAs, are emergency messages delivered to compatible cell phones in a threatened area. They are distributed through FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, or IPAWS, and can be issued by authorized government agencies including the National Weather Service.
For weather, not every warning triggers the distinctive WEA sound.
All Tornado Warnings activate WEAs. For Severe Thunderstorm Warnings, the storm must carry the National Weather Service’s highest “destructive” damage-threat tag. That requires expected winds of at least 80 mph, hail at least 2.75 inches in diameter—roughly baseball-sized—or both.
Flash Flood Warnings are also divided by severity. Only warnings tagged “considerable” or “catastrophic” are automatically forwarded through WEA.
The system is designed to reserve the attention-grabbing alerts for potentially dangerous situations. If one sounds during severe weather, check the message immediately and follow its recommended safety instructions.
