Wireless Emergency Alert FYI

Reports from Texas indicate that some people didn’t get the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) that was sent prior to the flash flood there. Apparently Kerrville not only lacks sirens (again, unimaginable to me, since the small town where I grew up had them since before I was born) but there was also some kind of delay in sending it out. Even so, people reported that some of the notifications were delayed until 10 the next day, etc.

WEA uses a special channel from the cell tower, so supposedly congestion doesn’t matter. However, not having signal will matter a whole hell of a lot. I was in the Hill Country last year for the eclipse and there was no service where I was, so presumably there are other areas near flash flood alley that didn’t get the alert because they didn’t have signal. Also, it’s possible that there was an issue with which cell towers sent out alerts, but that will be determined after an investigation. (Joke — it’s Texas.)

Anyway, here’s my suggestion: check your WEA settings in your phone. Here are the things you can turn on and off for Android.

• Amber Alert notifications: Issued when a child is missing and believed to be in danger.

• Presidential Alerts: Issued during widespread emergencies, like natural disasters or national threats.

• Early earthquake warnings: Sent when an earthquake is detected, giving you time to take protective action.

• Imminent threat notifications: Provide warnings about natural disasters or other serious threats in your area.

• State/local alert tests: Periodic tests to ensure the alert system is working properly.

• Public safety alerts: Provide information on local safety issues, such as road closures or ongoing criminal activity.

iPhone is the same except for the earthquake alert. Presidential alerts can’t be turned off (they’re called “national alerts” now).

Here’s information on how to check your WEA settings in Android and in iPhone.