iPhone emergency alerts - grrrr

[hlg22]

So apparently about a month ago AT&T and Verizon added emergency alerts to their iPhones...has anyone else discovered this? I was not aware of it until about 2 weeks ago, when I was at work and a sound like an airhorn blasting at top volume let me know that there was a flash flood warning. I think half of my office had a collective heart attack. It was then followed up by FOUR MORE alerts of flash flood warnings. Yes, we were having a thunderstorm and it was raining hard, but this seemed a wee bit excessive...water may pool up on some roads, but I'm not in an area where true "flash floods" sweep cars off through canyons, etc.

Anyway, I forgot about it until last night -I usually leave my phone on in do not disturb mode and plugged in/charging while I sleep, since it's my primary phone. Last night I woke in a panic to an alarm sounding at 12:30 a.m. - I originally thought the house was on fire, as it took a few minutes for my sleep-fogged brain to realize that it was not the smoke detector, but just another emergency alert of a flash flood warning as a thunderstorm was coming through. I turned my phone off after that but couldn't get back to sleep for over an hour.

I get that this would be a useful system for an imminent tornado or damaging t-storm or the like, but really, middle of the night alerts that it's raining really hard?

 

[wvjules]

I have an iPhone with Verizon and have never had an alert like that, even when there have been severe alerts issued by NWS.

 

[mrsv98]

So apparently about a month ago AT&T and Verizon added emergency alerts to their iPhones...has anyone else discovered this? I was not aware of it until about 2 weeks ago, when I was at work and a sound like an airhorn blasting at top volume let me know that there was a flash flood warning. I think half of my office had a collective heart attack. It was then followed up by FOUR MORE alerts of flash flood warnings. Yes, we were having a thunderstorm and it was raining hard, but this seemed a wee bit excessive...water may pool up on some roads, but I'm not in an area where true "flash floods" sweep cars off through canyons, etc.

Anyway, I forgot about it until last night -I usually leave my phone on in do not disturb mode and plugged in/charging while I sleep, since it's my primary phone. Last night I woke in a panic to an alarm sounding at 12:30 a.m. - I originally thought the house was on fire, as it took a few minutes for my sleep-fogged brain to realize that it was not the smoke detector, but just another emergency alert of a flash flood warning as a thunderstorm was coming through. I turned my phone off after that but couldn't get back to sleep for over an hour.

I get that this would be a useful system for an imminent tornado or damaging t-storm or the like, but really, middle of the night alerts that it's raining really hard?

It is not just your iPhone, it is all cell phones:
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea

This happened to us a couple of weeks ago during some really violent storms. About 2 am DH's and my phone both went off, scaring the bejeezus out of us I think it is ok since it is only for really severe situations.

 

[sam_gordon]

So apparently about a month ago AT&T and Verizon added emergency alerts to their iPhones...has anyone else discovered this? I was not aware of it until about 2 weeks ago, when I was at work and a sound like an airhorn blasting at top volume let me know that there was a flash flood warning. I think half of my office had a collective heart attack. It was then followed up by FOUR MORE alerts of flash flood warnings. Yes, we were having a thunderstorm and it was raining hard, but this seemed a wee bit excessive...water may pool up on some roads, but I'm not in an area where true "flash floods" sweep cars off through canyons, etc.

Anyway, I forgot about it until last night -I usually leave my phone on in do not disturb mode and plugged in/charging while I sleep, since it's my primary phone. Last night I woke in a panic to an alarm sounding at 12:30 a.m. - I originally thought the house was on fire, as it took a few minutes for my sleep-fogged brain to realize that it was not the smoke detector, but just another emergency alert of a flash flood warning as a thunderstorm was coming through. I turned my phone off after that but couldn't get back to sleep for over an hour.

I get that this would be a useful system for an imminent tornado or damaging t-storm or the like, but really, middle of the night alerts that it's raining really hard?

Did you happen to install a weather app? Possibly from a local TV station or the weather channel?

Watches & Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service. While you may only be getting heavy rains where you are, a few miles away may be subject to flash floods. They can't issue alerts by street level, it's usually at least county wide.

 

[snowy76]

I'm not sure HOW you can turn these off but there seems to be a way:

From http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea

What alerts will WEA deliver?

Alerts from WEA cover only critical emergency situations. Consumers will receive only three types of alerts:

Alerts issued by the President
Alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life
Amber Alerts

Participating carriers may allow subscribers to block all but Presidential alerts.

 

[amg35]

I've never gotten one, but my phone is a Windows phone, so it probably doesn't work on windows.

 

[EMAW_KSU]

I get alerts but from The Weather Channel App because I wanted them. Go to notification settings and turn off notifications for the weather.

 

[aprilchem]

Sounds like you may have subscribed to a service; I have AT&T and an iPhone and have never received an alert like that. I do have my phone set to notify me of weather warnings (through the Weather Channel App), but not with a loud siren.

You could also put your phone into "do not disturb" mode automatically. Mine goes into that mode from 10pm-7am every day,

 

[FireDancer]

My Android phone started doing this recently. I get them both through the Weather Channel app and through Google Now. I don't mind them really but the flash flood ones I could do without. The world would basically be ending if water ended up anywhere near my house. I'm on pretty high ground nowhere near a floodplain.

 

[hlg22]

I have an iPhone with Verizon and have never had an alert like that, even when there have been severe alerts issued by NWS.

Apparently it's not in all areas: http://support.verizonwireless.com/faqs/Wireless%20Service/emergency_alerts_faq.html Count yourself lucky. Mine doesn't do it for thunderstorm watch, warning, etc., just flash flood so far.

 

[hlg22]

Did you happen to install a weather app? Possibly from a local TV station or the weather channel?

Watches & Warnings are issued by the National Weather Service. While you may only be getting heavy rains where you are, a few miles away may be subject to flash floods. They can't issue alerts by street level, it's usually at least county wide.

Sounds like you may have subscribed to a service; I have AT&T and an iPhone and have never received an alert like that. I do have my phone set to notify me of weather warnings (through the Weather Channel App), but not with a loud siren.

You could also put your phone into "do not disturb" mode automatically. Mine goes into that mode from 10pm-7am every day,

I have NOT subscribed to a service and have no weather apps on my phone, and my phone was in "do not disturb" mode when the siren went off last night - I have it set automatically to do that at night as well. It is an update from AT&T according to this article I found. Apparently there is a way to turn them off, which I will have to try.

 

[SandrA9810]

My aunt has her numbers set up with the local stations to call automatically when there's severe weather at her address. When I got here in May, she got quite a few phone calls, but mine never made a peep.

Maybe its a good thing that I never upgraded my iphone. I would not want to be listening to that. I can use the weather app or watch tv if there's bad weather.

Found this site for you:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/15/att-wireless-emergency-alerts-iphone-4s-5/

That might help.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

My parents' basic phones do this now too. We get Amber Alerts as well.

 

[RitaE]

That actually might be helpful for us because we don't live within hearing distance of a tornado siren.

I had a text alert thing set up once through one of the weather sites but it was going off so much for minor Watches that I turned it off.

 

[hlg22]

I'm not sure HOW you can turn these off but there seems to be a way:

From http://www.fcc.gov/guides/wireless-emergency-alerts-wea

What alerts will WEA deliver?

Alerts from WEA cover only critical emergency situations. Consumers will receive only three types of alerts:

Alerts issued by the President
Alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life
Amber Alerts

Participating carriers may allow subscribers to block all but Presidential alerts.

AHA! Yes - by going to "settings," then "notifications," "government alerts" is way down at the bottom and allows you to turn off the Amber Alerts and Emergency Alerts. It's too bad, because I wouldn't mind just a pop up on my phone with an Amber Alert, or even the siren with an imminent tornado or really serious weather, but the flash flood warnings are ridiculous - the same roads/areas flood every time there's torrential rain, and I'm smart enough to know not to drive through water if I can't see how deep it is.

Even if you haven't heard them yet, you might want to check your iphone and see if those settings are there.

 

[Tinkerbell1013]

My iPhone did that recently, too. I didn't sign up for anything, however - I did just upgrade about two months ago to an iPhone 5. I figured that it was some new iPhone thing to scare the bejesus out of you when it rains. Sorry you're having the problem too but glad I'm not the only one.

 

[Malibustyle23]

When I go into my settings it reads as follows:

Presidential Alerts are mandatory. Unmark alerts you do not want to receive.

Then I can proceed to uncheck boxes beside Extreme Alert, Severe Alert and Amber Alert.

Just go into your settings and change what you don't want to be alerted about.

It's not phone specific since I just have a regular nonsmart phone. I think it is area specific. I am in MD and have Verizon. I would imagine it is starting in this general area and then will be "sweeping the nation". FWIW we have had flood warnings today and have had severe thunderstorm activities in the past weeks but it hasn't alerted for any of them. Pretty hit and miss thus far.

 

[Shutterbug]

We were hit hard on Wednesday. I got the flash flood warning on my phone BUT did not get the tornado warning . There was indeed flooding in the county. Not by me but it was in the county.

I had know about these for awhile but Wednesday was the first I had got one.

 

[Shutterbug]

I get that this would be a useful system for an imminent tornado or damaging t-storm or the like, but really, middle of the night alerts that it's raining really hard?

If the National Weather Service has issued the warning then yes. Just because its just raining hard by you and you dont have flooding doesnt mean that someone else is not experiencing flooding.

 

[wvjules]

When I go into my settings it reads as follows:

Presidential Alerts are mandatory. Unmark alerts you do not want to receive.

Then I can proceed to uncheck boxes beside Extreme Alert, Severe Alert and Amber Alert.

Just go into your settings and change what you don't want to be alerted about.

It's not phone specific since I just have a regular nonsmart phone. I think it is area specific. I am in MD and have Verizon. I would imagine it is starting in this general area and then will be "sweeping the nation". FWIW we have had flood warnings today and have had severe thunderstorm activities in the past weeks but it hasn't alerted for any of them. Pretty hit and miss thus far.

I am in MD and have verizon as well. I don't even have a Presidential Alerts. My only options to turn on/off are AMBE Alerts and Emergency Alerts. Maybe the Presidential one isn't listed since it can't be turned off anyway?