How cell climate alerts work to offer crucial data throughout pure disasters

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, discusses the hassle by some on the left responsible President Donald Trump for the Texas floods on ‘Varney & Co.’

Within the occasion of a catastrophe, a cell phone could be the first to alert somebody. 

With Wi-fi Emergency Alerts (WEAs), prospects of telecommunications firms together with Verizon, T-Cellular and AT&T obtain pressing messages from authorities businesses throughout crucial conditions reminiscent of tornadoes, flash floods or AMBER Alerts. FEMA mentioned the messages present the sort and time of the alert, any motion individuals within the impacted space ought to take, and the company issuing the alert.

This is how they work: 

WEAs are issued by licensed federal, state, native, tribal and territorial public alerting authorities and broadcast from cell towers to any WEA‐enabled cell gadget in a regionally focused space. WEA is a part of a partnership between FEMA, the Federal Communications Fee (FCC) and wi-fi suppliers, geared toward enhancing public security.

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There are various kinds of alerts, however pure disasters and excessive climate fall beneath the Imminent Menace Alerts class. 

Wi-fi Emergency Alerts should not subscription-based, based on FEMA. There’s additionally no want to offer private data to obtain a WEA. WEAs are free and based mostly on location. Nonetheless, individuals will nonetheless obtain messages even when they’re in an space the place they do not dwell or are outdoors the realm the place the cellphone is registered. 

Flood waters left particles, together with autos and tools, scattered in Louise Hays Park on July 5, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. (Eric Vryn / Getty Pictures)

If somebody travels into an space after a WEA was despatched, they may obtain the message, if the alert remains to be energetic.

To establish if it is an WEA, FEMA mentioned the alert will probably be not more than 360 characters. These messages can even have a particular tone and vibration that will probably be repeated twice. 

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Wi-fi suppliers are promoting units with WEA functionality included. Nonetheless, to seek out out if a cellphone can obtain WEA alerts, FEMA mentioned individuals ought to contact their wi-fi supplier, which participates in WEA on a voluntary foundation.

Wi-fi Emergency Alerts (WEAs) don’t observe individuals’s location. As an alternative, they’re broadcast from cell towers to all WEA-enabled telephones in a particular geographic space. 

Search and rescue staff dig by particles in search of any survivors or stays of individuals swept up within the flash flooding on July 6, 2025, in Hunt, Texas. (Jim Vondruska / Getty Pictures)

If a cellphone is in vary, an individual will obtain the alert regardless of which service they use. If somebody is on a name when an alert is distributed, it will likely be delayed till the decision ends. WEAs are additionally not affected by community congestion, to allow them to get by even when common calls or texts are sluggish.

Other than the WEAs, the Nationwide Climate Service additionally sends up repeated warnings. 

On July 3, forward of the lethal flooding in Central Texas, the NWS workplaces in Austin and San Antonio performed forecast briefings for emergency administration within the morning and issued a Flood Watch within the early afternoon. Flash Flood Warnings have been issued on the morning of July 4, giving preliminary lead instances of greater than three hours earlier than warning standards have been met. 

First, the Nationwide Water Heart Flood Hazard Outlook issued on July 3 indicated an growth of flash flood potential to incorporate Kerrville, Texas, and surrounding areas. A Flood Watch was then issued by NWS Austin and San Antonio round 1:18 p.m. central time Thursday, in impact by Friday morning.

The Climate Prediction Heart (WPC) additionally issued three Mesoscale Precipitation Discussions for the extreme rainfall occasion as early as 6:10 p.m. Thursday, indicating the potential for flash flooding.

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The Nationwide Water Heart Space Hydrologic Dialogue (AHD) #144 messaged regionally appreciable flood wording for areas north and west of San Antonio, together with town of Kerrville, and the primary Flash Flood Warning for the occasion was issued at 11:41 p.m. Thursday for Bandera County. The AHD is a instrument to assist the NWS rapidly establish and talk potential flash flood threats.

A photograph reveals flooding brought on by a flash flood on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP through / Getty Pictures)

At 1:14 a.m. Friday, a Flash Flood Warning marked as “considerable” was issued for Bandera and Kerr counties, signaling a severe menace. Warnings labeled “considerable” or “catastrophic” imply there’s a excessive danger of main injury. These alerts mechanically exit as emergency notifications to cellphones within the space and are additionally broadcast over NOAA Climate Radio, making certain the general public is warned throughout solely probably the most harmful flash flood occasions.

The NWS mentioned the primary stories from Kerr County Sheriff’s Workplace of flooding at low water crossings had 201 minutes of lead time. Nonetheless, simply after 4 a.m. native time, the Flash Flood Warning was upgraded to a Flash Flood Emergency for south-central Kerr County, together with Hunt. 

An hour later, the Nationwide Water Heart Space Hydrologic Dialogue #146 included concern about appreciable widespread flooding all through the day. The Flood Hazard Outlook was additionally upgraded to appreciable and catastrophic.

A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the Guadalupe River at 5:34 a.m.

Editor’s notice: The headline was modified on 7/9/25 to extra precisely mirror the concentrate on the story