Text alerts warn of severe weather

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The National Weather Service will start sending text messages to all cell phones that are in an area of severe weather or other imminent danger.

The Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEA, are free and don't require subscription. Kerry Jones with the National Weather Service said the texts are just a way to keep people safe.

"If you're traveling on I-25 up near Raton, for example, and there is a flash flood warning or a tornado warning, you will receive through the cell phone towers this initial notification," said Jones.

The texts, which are a joint effort with FEMA, will also notify people about extreme wind, hurricane, tsunami, typhoon, blizzard, ice storm, lake effect snow and dust storm warnings. Texts involving immediate safety, like in the case of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, and texts regarding amber alerts will also be sent.

"It's a very short message. It's not going to have details like the storm is located at point 'X' moving such and such direction," said Jones.

Instead, it will have a brief description of the event, the time, the area affected and any safety recommendations.

The texts will only be sent in areas with cell service. It'll work similar to how emergencies are broadcast over radios. The federal agencies won't be tracking private cell phone information.

"It's another tool," said Jones. "It certainly doesn't replace other warning notifications systems in place now."

The WEA have already been rolled out in other parts of the country. They go live in New Mexico next week.