There is SO much information available to us in our little hand-held computers, that a person could spend all day trying to track down what’s real and what’s fake. During an emergency or disaster, we don’t have that kind of time.
This month’s tip is meant to connect you with news you can use so you can find accurate, local and relevant information in times of an emergency and save the “locals” page for finding lost pets and airing grievances.
ALERT!MONROE
Alert!Monroe is a mass notification system used by Monroe County Emergency Management to share emergency notifications with residents quickly. Notifications can include severe weather, evacuation information, fires, and other emergencies, as well as general important routine County information and announcements.
Messages are sent to residents on preferred primary and secondary contact paths – cell phone, SMS/texts, home phone, or email – to ensure real-time access to potentially lifesaving information. The notifications will transmit to thousands of residents within seconds.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
The National Weather Service uses Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)–messages sent to your mobile phone during an emergency. No sign-up is required. You will receive alerts such as:
- Extreme Weather and Hydrologic Warnings
- Local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action
- AMBER Alerts
- Blue Alerts
- Presidential Alerts during a national emergency
FEMA
Rumors and misleading information can spread quickly after any disaster. Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, rumors emerged that had the potential to seriously hamper storm response efforts or prevent people from getting assistance quickly. We also know that the aftermath of a disaster is rife with fraudsters taking advantage of vulnerable people. Because of this, FEMA set up a hurricane response page so those in the affected areas could confirm that the information they are hearing is accurate.
NIXLE
One easy way to sign up for local agency alerts is through a service called “Nixle.” If you’re signed up with Alert!Monroe, then you’re already connected. But if you’re traveling or you don’t live in Monroe County you can connect to your local agency through the Nixle app.
STAY CONNECTED
You don’t have to wait to get a notification on your phone to stay connected. Here are some additional tips that will put you in the know when it’s important:
- Write down loved ones’ phone numbers, keep the list where you’ll always have it on hand in case you’ve lost your phone or your phone has lost service.
- Program your local news station into your car’s radio pre-sets and download the station’s streaming app to your devices.
- Check the National Weather Service alert page and Ready.gov to stay current on any weather or other emergencies wherever you are.
- Visit your local utilities’ websites and find out how you can stay informed about outages.