How to sign up for severe weather alerts in Oregon

Natural disasters can strike at any time. So local and federal agencies have developed several ways to help inform people of potential weather dangers.

These timely public alerts and warnings can be helpful during unexpected severe weather events. Not only can they assist residents in preparing for natural disasters, but they can also save lives.

Here are some ways to stay informed during potential weather emergencies.

Wireless Emergency Alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts are emergency messages sent directly to your mobile phone by authorized government authorities. These include a wide range of local, state and federal agencies such as the National Weather Service, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Since 2012, more than 84,000 alerts have been sent to warn the general public about potential weather dangers and other critical situations.

While you don’t need to sign up for these alerts, safety officials do recommend that you check your mobile device to see if it’s set up to receive these messages. The Weather Channel has put together a handy step-by-step guide for setting up emergency and public safety alerts on mobile devices.

OR-Alert

OR-Alert is a statewide alert system aimed at ensuring access to emergency alerts across Oregon’s 36 counties and tribal governments. Oregon residents can sign up for alerts online at oralert.gov by searching their county, city or ZIP code to locate their local emergency notification systems. The website will prompt you to fill in a contact form and ask you to select the type of alerts you’d like to receive.

State officials also recommend going directly to your county sheriff or county emergency management website as another way to sign up for alerts.

Find your county or tribal emergency management office or local sheriff’s office.

Additionally, the state suggests downloading the Everbridge app and registering there, or texting your ZIP code to 888777 to be anonymously registered for alerts.

Other ways to stay informed

• Emergency management officials suggest downloading the FEMA app as another way to stay up-to-date on active severe weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
• Another helpful tool is the American Red Cross Emergency app, which combines more than 35 different types of emergency alerts and severe weather notices.
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or your local radio and TV broadcasters for emergency alerts.
• Follow your local emergency management office or news outlets on social media for updates.

Related: Preparing your home for a winter storm