National Weather Service Alerts

[loanhighknight]

I knew they were available on iOS 7, but until this afternoon, I've never actually SEEN one. Just in case anyone was curious, the phone vibrates or bleeps (depending on whether you are in silent mode or not)--and, similar to when a timer finishes counting down, it does not stop until you unlock the phone or swipe the notification (it's hard to tell exactly which I did when I received my notificiation today because the touch points in 7B2 are still sorta wonky.

The actual notification, as you see it in Notification Center is visible below.

Notably, if you live near where I do (in the DC metro area) where the National Weather Service is famously and preposterously alarmist, this feature is probably going to be far too annoying to keep enabled.

 

[Small White Car]

Notably, if you live near where I do (in the DC metro area) where the National Weather Service is famously and preposterously alarmist, this feature is probably going to be far too annoying to keep enabled.

Bingo

I just turned it off

Like you, I'd never seen it before either. (I believe new carrier updates enabled them for us a few days ago.) And then today I got two warnings about "Floods" over the past 5 minutes so I shut if off. You're absolutely correct that this thing is going to be way over-used in this area.

(In case anyone from outside DC thinks we're crazy, this is the town that sent workers home in the morning because of approaching thunderstorms 2 weeks ago. When I left in the evening, the sun was shining.)

 

[Tyler23]

I knew they were available on iOS 7, but until this afternoon, I've never actually SEEN one. Just in case anyone was curious, the phone vibrates or bleeps (depending on whether you are in silent mode or not)--and, similar to when a timer finishes counting down, it does not stop until you unlock the phone or swipe the notification (it's hard to tell exactly which I did when I received my notificiation today because the touch points in 7B2 are still sorta wonky.

The actual notification, as you see it in Notification Center is visible below.

Notably, if you live near where I do (in the DC metro area) where the National Weather Service is famously and preposterously alarmist, this feature is probably going to be far too annoying to keep enabled.

Had those on verizon in the dc area since the beginning of iOS 6

They can be annoying but also quite useful.

 

[bchery21]

I saw this alert pop up for the first time on my phone (AT&T, iOS 6) a couple weeks ago. Good thing I have my photostream on because I did delete it from my camera roll initially.

 

[loanhighknight]

Had those on verizon in the dc area since the beginning of iOS 6

They can be annoying but also quite useful.

Like you, I'd never seen it before either. (I believe new carrier updates enabled them for us a few days ago.) And then today I got two warnings about "Floods" over the past 5 minutes so I shut if off. You're absolutely correct that this thing is going to be way over-used in this area.

If that's the case then the feature is even more insane. (I have a Verizon phone here at work for testing that's runs 6.1.3.) I only got this one, and only on this phone--which is why I assumed it was an iOS 7 thing.

There's something beautifully--poetically--DC-esque about an emergency alert, about something that isn't an emergency, that only reaches half the people half the time.

 

[toffa813]

This seemed like a good idea on AT&T's part in theory, but it made me want to jump out of the window when everybody's phone was going off on the train

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I live in Kansas, so NWS likes to give us something for every little storm and keeps extending the watch/warning in 30 minute intervals. I've learned to ignore the weather. They say it will rain and then it's 95 and sunny.

I get NWS stuff from the Weather Channel app but I've never seen anything from iOS 6.

 

[TheProFTW]

I knew they were available on iOS 7, but until this afternoon, I've never actually SEEN one. Just in case anyone was curious, the phone vibrates or bleeps (depending on whether you are in silent mode or not)--and, similar to when a timer finishes counting down, it does not stop until you unlock the phone or swipe the notification (it's hard to tell exactly which I did when I received my notificiation today because the touch points in 7B2 are still sorta wonky.

The actual notification, as you see it in Notification Center is visible below.

Notably, if you live near where I do (in the DC metro area) where the National Weather Service is famously and preposterously alarmist, this feature is probably going to be far too annoying to keep enabled.

That actually looks useful, and IMO, can be very important. I saw the tornado that started in northern potomac,md like a week or two ago, so those could actually be useful if dc's crazy weather ever hits hard.

 

[WhackyNinja]

It aint fun when your iPhone does an emergency alert at 2 AM for an Amber Alert that is not even in your city....

That sound when you get an emergency alert almost gave me a heart attack..

 

[loanhighknight]

It aint fun when your iPhone does an emergency alert at 2 AM for an Amber Alert that is not even in your city....

That sound when you get an emergency alert almost gave me a heart attack..

I can understand NWS alerts maybe ignoring it, but do Amber Alerts not respect Do Not Disturb mode?

 

[WhackyNinja]

Nope I leave DND on every night. It was on and it alerted me. Again..not a pleasant experience

 

[rman726]

Just as long as Obama doesn't start spamming my phone with the Presidential Alerts that I can't turn off!

 

[WhackyNinja]

Just as long as Obama doesn't start spamming my phone with the Presidential Alerts that I can't turn off!

Oh my xD That would be very bad I have CNN for that xD

 

[CosmoPilot]

Can anyone confirm if these alerts come through when connected to an AT&T Microcell? I have not received an alert yet and we had a tornado warning a few days ago.

 

[darster]

The problem with the weather alerts is that they do not actually correlate to the actual convective warning polygons that the NWS issues. So if you live in southern x county, and the warning polygon only includes the northern part of the county, you will still get it because the alert system alerts everyone inside the county, not inside the actual warning. A better way for it to work is to base it on your actual location via GPS, and alert you only if your lat/lon location is inside the warning. The NWS wanted to do it that way, but in the end, Homeland Security decided they knew best.

 

[kdarling]

The problem with the weather alerts is that they do not actually correlate to the actual convective warning polygons that the NWS issues. So if you live in southern x county, and the warning polygon only includes the northern part of the county, you will still get it because the alert system alerts everyone inside the county, not inside the actual warning.

Yep, plus alerts often cover multiple counties.

Also, the alerts are broadcast from any cell that covers any part of those counties. Since rural cells can cover a radius of 30 to even 50 miles, and multiple counties are often involved, that means the alert can hit a pretty big area outside of the target.

A better way for it to work is to base it on your actual location via GPS, and alert you only if your lat/lon location is inside the warning. The NWS wanted to do it that way, but in the end, Homeland Security decided they knew best.

Except for smartphones, most GSM devices in the USA don't have GPS.

(On the other hand, even cheap CDMA flip phones have A-GPS, because Verizon and Sprint included it for more accuracy for E911 calls and navigation apps).

By simply sending from cell towers to anyone in the vicinity, even dumb phones will eventually be able to get the message, albeit sometimes outside the area.

As for smartphones, yeah, if they got the polygons, they could do their own filtering. (That's why I use alert apps instead.)

 

[HMI]

If that's the case then the feature is even more insane. (I have a Verizon phone here at work for testing that's runs 6.1.3.) I only got this one, and only on this phone--which is why I assumed it was an iOS 7 thing.

There's something beautifully--poetically--DC-esque about an emergency alert, about something that isn't an emergency, that only reaches half the people half the time.

I guess one would need to live near or be familiar with DC to appreciate the beauty of such poetry.
I've not yet had such a pleasure.

 

[tiredof]

Very annoying and useless system

This system is not put in place with any respect for the customer. For you to have no control over how your are notified, such as tone, silent, volume, etc it is irresponsible for those who put it in place.

I do not need this alert as I am entering a highway, in a meeting or any location at work, or as in my old job on on the side and on top of vapor recovery unit 300 feet above the ground.

The only option is on or off which is the most obnoxious of all for this system. Since I would like some respect to me as a customer with control over how I am notified I can only turn it off? Now, when something like 9/11, a real life threatening emergency, I have no notification of it?

Even scanners allow you to have control of the volume and offer far more comprehensive information in your local home of any emergency in your area. There are too many alternate and user friendly systems in place to make this an obsolete system upon delivery to the public.

 

[TheProFTW]

What I did is just subscribe to my county's SMS alerts, that way I get more control

 

[kdarling]

This system is not put in place with any respect for the customer. For you to have no control over how your are notified, such as tone, silent, volume, etc it is irresponsible for those who put it in place.

There are apps that check the NWS for alerts, and have more control.

The only option is on or off which is the most obnoxious of all for this system. Since I would like some respect to me as a customer with control over how I am notified I can only turn it off? Now, when something like 9/11, a real life threatening emergency, I have no notification of it?

You can only turn off Amber and Weather alerts. You cannot turn off the Presidential alerts.

However, it's been noted that in fifty years of having emergency alert systems, no Presidential type of alerts have ever been sent, despite some pretty harsh stuff happening (e.g. JFK assassination, California quakes, and 9/11), simply because such news is always immediately covered by the media.

It would probably require a full on nuclear war warning to get used. Or maybe a zombie apocalypse, if the media was overwhelmed right away

 

[pdqgp]

It aint fun when your iPhone does an emergency alert at 2 AM for an Amber Alert that is not even in your city....That sound when you get an emergency alert almost gave me a heart attack..

That just happened to me early this morning. Freaked me out waking up to that sound! Not to mention my wife was PO'd!!

I can understand NWS alerts maybe ignoring it, but do Amber Alerts not respect Do Not Disturb mode?

Nope. I have DND on every night and it didn't stop it.

Can anyone confirm if these alerts come through when connected to an AT&T Microcell? I have not received an alert yet and we had a tornado warning a few days ago.

Not sure what a Microcell is. I am with AT&T and they work.

This system is not put in place with any respect for the customer. For you to have no control over how your are notified, such as tone, silent, volume, etc it is irresponsible for those who put it in place. I do not need this alert as I am entering a highway, in a meeting or any location at work,

Agree. Needs more user control.

What I did is just subscribe to my county's SMS alerts, that way I get more control

^^ This. Our local news feeds are timely, better and respect my DND. We also have tornado sirens around us that if one were to his, we'd easily hear.

 

[airbelchris]

i got mine today gawd it was annaying

 

[Iamgort]

awoken continuously last night due to flood warning spam on my phoen while DND was on. Talk about annoying. Ugh.

 

[Rogifan]

Can someone explain why this can be installed on your phone without your approval? I know you can switch them off but still if I don't want them I should be able to tell AT&T no thanks. My fear is we'll get one that we're not allowed to turn off because some government mandate says so.

 

[Tyler23]

Can someone explain why this can be installed on your phone without your approval? I know you can switch them off but still if I don't want them I should be able to tell AT&T no thanks. My fear is we'll get one that we're not allowed to turn off because some government mandate says so.

It's not installed on your phone without your approval. It's an option. I, for one, am glad to have that option. I'm glad they're concerned enough about people's well being to give us that option. Turn it on or off, whichever you prefer.

And to the people complaining about it. Either turn it off, or be grateful when it saves your life some day.