People gathered for the Confederate Heritage Rally in front of the Capitol in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday.
That storm was relatively modest.
Only two deaths reported.
With Early Tornado Outbreak, Alabama Focuses on Warnings
By KIM SEVERSON
"Officials are urging residents to do more than watch television. Residents of storm-prone states should rely on weather radios specifically designed to monitor government alerts, as well as on smartphones and other technology, to keep on top of potentially deadly storms.
Those were among the recommendations included in a new report delivered by a statewide council that Gov. Robert Bentley assembled after the tornado outbreak last year. The report hit the governor’s desk the same day last week that tornadoes swept through the state.
The council of community and business leaders called for a better system of warnings that would incorporate Global Positioning System technology and smartphones. People need to be warned through e-mails, text messages and voice mail based on the current location of a device, not its user’s billing address, the report suggested. The state could also make better use of electronic billboards and offer warnings in languages other than English, the report said.
The panel had little good to say about tornado sirens, which have lost credibility among many residents. Some cannot hear them inside buildings, while others have become desensitized after years of false alarms. Some sirens are properly activated but cover such a broad area that the tornadoes never arrive in some locations.
“Sirens are antiquated, and I think the time has come to take them down,” said James Spann, a television forecaster from Alabama who attained cult hero status among some after his warnings about last year’s tornadoes.
Social media and other systems that deliver warnings to smartphones are much more effective, Mr. Spann said. And he supports the report’s recommendation to get weather radios into the hands of more residents." An autodialer would do some good.
Many residents will not have a phone or a weather radio with power.
Most will not be conscious of the television.
The tax supported siren system with localization and highway signs along with other emergency alerts are good ideas.
I can think of no way to practically monetize emergency alerts.
February 21, 2011
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