Eau Claire County launches dangerous weather alert app
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Lauren French | Leader-Telegram
Eau Claire County officials are hoping a new weather alert system will make sure more residents know when dangerous weather is approaching the area.
The Smart911 emergency alert system is linked to the National Weather Service and will push alerts from that service to a user's phone or email, depending on what they signed up for. Tyler Esh, the county's emergency management coordinator, said it could help fill in the gaps when people don't hear the outdoor sirens or don't have a TV or radio turned on.
"The county hasn't had any system like this until now," he said, noting that other areas use similar systems. "The difference with ours is we can use it for more than weather warnings."
Esh said the system allows the county to craft its own messages to push, meaning law enforcement could use it to notify the public of a missing person search or something else of that nature. He noted the app's usefulness should Eau Claire ever face a situation similar to that of Superior, where a refinery explosion forced evacuations in April.
Otherwise, the messages will copy the alerts from the Weather Service.
For example, an alert sent May 25 warned users of a severe thunderstorm warning and the relevant communities. It listed the potential hazards and recommended those in the affected area move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
While many associate summer with tornado season, Esh said, the app will be helpful at all times of the year.
"Officially, Wisconsin only has one month where we've never had a tornado on record," Esh said, noting that one month falls sometime in the winter. "Otherwise, in recorded history there's been a tornado each month in Wisconsin, although June typically has the most."
Since the program launched in Eau Claire in March, more than 350 users have signed up. To link your phone or email with Smart911, visit bit.ly/2Jlskvr.
The app cost $14,000 with host Rave Mobile Safety. After thefirst year, it will cost $12,000 annually to maintain.
Contact: 715-830-5828, lauren.french@ecpc.com, @LaurenKFrench on Twitter Read more about this article »
|
