Emergency Weather Alerts for the City of Kramer

Imagine this: You’re driving down the Highway 5 enroute to Bottineau, humming along to your favorite tunes, when the cell phone suddenly sounds a loud alarm.  To investigate, you safely pull over to check the screen. Good thing you did: Your phone just alerted you to a tornado a few miles away in same area you’re driving through.  Sound plausible? It is. Your wireless network is connected to a nationwide text emergency alert system, called Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which will warn you when weather threatens.  The system ads a new level of protection for you at home, at work, or on the road.  This warning system, is even more important as the City of Kramer does not have an alert siren system as the fire station is not manned and a timely alert, is not practical. WEA may save your life.

And for your information, your city council is seeking a grant to acquire an above ground tornado shelter for our community. For people that do not have a basement to seek safety, we are trying to increase your chances for safety.

How do you turn WAE messages on?

  • Android phone: Go to Settings > Connections > Safety and emergency > Wireless Emergency Alerts and ensure "Allow alerts" is switched on. 
  • iPhone:  Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Weather > Always, then turn on Notifications in the Weather app. 

Want to know more? Read below. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

  1. What are WEA messages?
    Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are emergency messages sent by authorized government alerting authorities through your mobile carrier. Government partners include local and state public safety agencies, FEMA, the FCC, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Weather Service. No signup is required! Alerts are sent automatically to WEA-capable phones during an emergency.
     
  2. Why is this important to me?
    Alerts received at the right time can help keep you safe during an emergency. With WEA, alerts can be sent to your mobile device when you may be in harm's way, without need to download an app or subscribe to a service.
     
  3. What types of alerts will I receive?
    • Extreme Weather and Hydrologic Warnings
    • Local emergencies requiring evacuation or immediate action
    • AMBER Alerts
    • Blue Alerts
    • Presidential Alerts during a national emergency

  4. What does a WEA message look like?
    WEA will look like a text message. The WEA message will typically show the type and time of the alert, any action you should take, and the agency issuing the alert. The length and language of the message received on a particular device will be dependent on the wireless network and the language setting of the device. Messages will be up to 360 characters on 4G LTE networks and beyond. WEA message length will be a maximum of 90 characters on 3G and earlier networks.  
    Examples of Wireless Emergency Alerts in English and Spanish.

  5. How will I know the difference between WEA and a regular text message?
    WEA messages include a special tone and vibration, both repeated twice.
     
  6. What types of WEA messages will the National Weather Service send?
    Warnings for Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm (only when the damage threat is destructive), Flash Flood (only when the damage threat is considerable or catastrophic), Extreme Wind, Dust Storm and Snow Squall.
     
  7. What should I do when I receive a WEA message?
    Follow any action advised by the emergency message. Seek more details from your favorite TV or radio station, NOAA Weather Radio, news website, desktop application, mobile application, or other trusted source of information.
     
  8. Does my cell phone have all WEA capabilities?
    Many wireless devices available since 2012 support the ability to receive and present a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA). As WEA has been enhanced with new features, wireless devices can support WEA 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0. Some of the features supported for each WEA version include:
    • WEA 1.0 supports alerts up to 90 characters in length 
    • WEA 3.0 can support geographical targeting accuracy of 0.1 mile (1/10 mile). WEA 1.0 and 2.0 devices, and in some cases 3.0 devices, cannot support this enhanced geographic targeting. In cases where WEA 3.0 is not supported, the alert may be presented, but may not be within 0.1 mile accuracy.
    For more information about WEA, please visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Communications Commission or CTIA. For more information about your wireless device and WEA, please visit the website of the device manufacturer or your wireless provider.

  9.  Will I be charged for receiving WEA messages?
    No. This service is offered for free by wireless carriers. WEA messages will not count towards texting limits on your wireless plan.