Do you have Emergency Alerts enabled on your phone?
Two levee breaks following historic flooding in Washington have prompted a series of evacuations, and these alerts could save your life.
The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) is a system that broadcasts public safety messages like Flood Evacuation Alerts to people’s phones based on location.
Here’s how to enable alerts
For Apple iPhones:
• Tap “Settings” > “Notifications”
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen to get to “Government Alerts.”
• Under “Government Alerts,” tap the switch next to “Public Safety Alerts” to turn them ON or OFF. The circle should be on the right-hand side of the switch, and the switch should turn green.
• Also under “Government Alerts,” tap “Emergency Alerts.” For older phones, this will simply turn Emergency Alerts ON. For newer phones, this will take you to another menu. Here you can turn Emergency Alerts, Sound, and sometimes Local Alerts ON.
• Some iPhones have an “Always Deliver” option. Make sure “Always Deliver” is on.
For Android Phones:
• Use the search function in “Settings” to find “Wireless Emergency Alerts” or “Public Safety Messages.” You may have to click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click settings and click alert types.
• If you can’t find “Emergency Alerts” by searching in “Settings,” try searching for “Emergency Alerts” in the text message app, instead. You may have to click the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click settings and click alert types.
• Once in the “Wireless Emergency Alerts” menu, make sure all alerts are turned ON. The circle should be on the right-hand side of the switch.
Instructions may vary depending on your phone. For other questions, please refer to your mobile phone carrier and/or mobile phone manufacturer’s website.
Other phones:
Contact your mobile phone carrier and/or manufacturer’s website for more information. If you already get AMBER Alerts, you may get these alerts, too. But it’s not guaranteed because phones use different settings.
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