Flooding and Storm Damage (phone)

[Kippy]

Originally Posted by greg42

Ah, must be fairly new. Looks like my iPhone 4 doesn't support them at least on AT&T. Well, I guess it's almost 3 years old now, pretty ancient in phone terms.

I have an iPhone 4S running iOS 6.1.3 on the AT&T network with carrier update 14.2.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by doo dah

It is the Wireless Emergency Alert system (formerly CMAS) Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) | FCC.gov

Thanks. Many of my friends, neighbors and family love the new feature. While I was on my trip, I wished my phone had it.

[SteelCityRising]

I'm guessing those of us without Smartphones are unable to receive those alerts and updates? While out delivering yesterday I was listening to 105.9 "The X", and Mark Madden seemed ticked off that he had to be interrupted for the NWS to issue the Tornado Warning for Allegheny County and then went back on to rambling like a jagoff about sugar daddies while I spent the next hour searching everywhere on AM and FM radio frequencies looking for updates.

[greg42]

They broke directly into the programming on 90.5 with the actual emergency alert system thing, but the one I heard was later, just for Severe Thunderstorm Warning. (This was on our way out to dinner after the power went off.) I'm going to guess we missed the Tornado Warning by a couple minutes, probably already turned the car off just before they cut in with it.

[Geeo]

If you're in the car during bad weather, you can usually find out what's going on on KDKA-AM 1020. They're talk all day and pretty much were wall-to-wall with all of this yesterday.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Geeo

If you're in the car during bad weather, you can usually find out what's going on on KDKA-AM 1020. They're talk all day and pretty much were wall-to-wall with all of this yesterday.

Thanks! Good to know for future reference. I kept my AM on scan for a few minutes, but I must have somehow missed this station.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I was listening to 105.9 "The X", and Mark Madden seemed ticked off that he had to be interrupted for the NWS to issue the Tornado Warning for Allegheny County and then went back on to rambling like a jagoff about sugar daddies while I spent the next hour searching everywhere on AM and FM radio frequencies looking for updates.

You were expecting compassion and concern from Mark Madden?

There's a road around the corner of my house with a depression that runs maybe 8-10' long. There's a storm drain right there. It backed up. Sure enough a car got 1/2 submerged in that little spot, called 911 for rescue. First time in history.

Unfortunately my driveway runs downhill to my garage and my driveway drain runs into the same line as that storm drain. So I had a lake 2.5' up my garage doors. Once they unplugged the storm drain, my driveway emptied out quickly. I was thinking the basement wouldn't be too bad - there was about 1.5" of water when I went down there. So after the driveway drained, I opened the basement door to the garage and was immediately hit in the shin by a floating cooler. It got up to about 5" in the garage.

[tabinekotaro]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm guessing those of us without Smartphones are unable to receive those alerts and updates? While out delivering yesterday I was listening to 105.9 "The X", and Mark Madden seemed ticked off that he had to be interrupted for the NWS to issue the Tornado Warning for Allegheny County and then went back on to rambling like a jagoff about sugar daddies while I spent the next hour searching everywhere on AM and FM radio frequencies looking for updates.

The phone has to be WEA capable, but not necessarily a smartphone. Starting this year, this capability is mandated for all new phones. Check with your carrier for a list of its WEA compatible devices. For example, here is Verizon's list:
Wireless Emergency Alert Capable Devices | Verizon Wireless

Most are smartphones, but some are feature phones, like the LG Revere 2 and the Samsung Intensity III and Gusto II.

Originally Posted by Kippy

I have an iPhone 4S running iOS 6.1.3 on the AT&T network with carrier update 14.2.

Who's receiving and not receiving these seems inconsistent right now. I have an iPhone 5 on AT&T, iOS 6.1, carrier update 14.2, so I'm less up to date than you are, software wise. Still, I have received these messages both in Pittsburgh and in North Carolina, where I'm working for the next couple weeks. My boyfriend has been getting them on a T-Mobile Google Nexus. (I'm even receiving them in the boonies outside Asheville where according to the phone I have no service.) But none of my colleagues down here in NC are receiving them, and they all have older iPhone 4/4S models. Both of these should be WEA capable on Verizon, and the 4S is capable on AT&T. So I don't get it. I have appreciated receiving the messages, though.

[OniNoKen]

Originally Posted by Geeo

If you're in the car during bad weather, you can usually find out what's going on on KDKA-AM 1020. They're talk all day and pretty much were wall-to-wall with all of this yesterday.

This is excellent to know. We were on McKnightmare when the tornado warning hit my phone. The clouds were just interesting enough to have me concerned, and I couldn't find anything anywhere. WESA was going on about Egypt, which I was not concerned about in the slightest right then.

[Copanut]

About the only 2 stations left in town for news is KQV and Old Fart KDKA.