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Colorado Weather Warnings Add Digital Alerts

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Jun 12, 2009 9:53 am US/Mountain

Colorado Weather Warnings Add Digital Alerts

DENVER (CBS4) ― Some Colorado residents are heeding more than warning sirens and media broadcasts when bad weather threatens: They are relying on cell phones, e-mails and even a state Twitter feed.

The Colorado Division of Emergency Management set up the Twitter feed to keep citizens informed about dangerous weather. And In Dacono, where a warning siren is out of operation, residents can get tornado updates on their cell phones and land lines.

Acting Police Chief Brian Skaggs says Dacono used e-mail this week to alert residents.

"We did get some very positive feedback," he said.

Even with an operating siren, residents in surrounding areas can have trouble hearing it. The siren can be heard in nearby Frederick but is tougher to notice farther south. That makes the electronic warning system particularly helpful, Skaggs said.

"As your city grows, you can't have one siren that reaches everywhere," he said.

Skaggs ordered messages sent on Sunday and Tuesday after tornado warnings from the National Weather Service and hearing storm reports from Weld County. He promises the system won't be used "every time a raindrop falls out of the sky."

Residents in Jefferson, Broomfield and Douglas counties and in Aurora can register their wireless phone numbers to receive the emergency management messages. Denver, too, is considering an electronic message warning system, said Scott Field, deputy director of the city's office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

Colorado State University and the University of Colorado are among the colleges that send text messages to students when there are emergencies.

An electronic system does take more time to send out alerts over densely populated areas.

"When you are dealing with something that has very little warning and not a lot of time, it depends on how many people you are trying to notify," said Wendy Richards, a regional sales director at Sky Catcher Communications, which provides alert systems.

"We advise people to stay abreast of a number of different warning systems and to monitor a myriad of different sources," said Brandon Williams, spokesman for the state Division of Emergency Management.

Get Text Alerts From CBS4 In Denver

CBS4 wants to help you stay informed with free text alerts that are sent directly to your cell phone or wireless device.

We generally don't send messages out before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m., unless there's some sort of huge news we feel you have to know about.

Your carrier's standard text messaging rates apply. Follow the directions below to sign up.
  • For breaking news alerts text 4news to 66247
  • For severe weather alerts (including a nightly update on tomorrow's forecast) text 4weather to 66247
After each message you will get a confirmation message telling you that you have been signed up.

You can opt-out any time by sending a text message with the keyword stop to 66247.
 

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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