Severe weather has been on the menu for Kansas City for the past weeks and with another cluster of thunderstorms approaching the Kansas City area Thursday, severe weather alert services have been working overtime to keep residents updated.
Services in Kansas City and Johnson County have been operating for at least a couple of years, and now residents in other parts of Jackson County can sign up for a new system to receive severe weather alerts delivered directly to their phones.
The Central Jackson County Emergency Management Agency has started its emergency weather alert notification service through Everbridge, a community information service app. The service looks over Blue Springs, Grain Valley and Lake Tapawingo. The agency transitioned to Everbridge two months ago, said Chip Portz, chief of community risk reduction with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Residents can sign up to receive alerts by using the online form. You will have to enter your email or phone number to sign up, and once you have, you can decide if you want to receive alerts to one or both forms of contact.
If you choose to enter your phone number, you can choose if the alerts will come in as a text message or a call.
You can also sign up to get alerts by downloading the Everbridge app on your Apple or Android device. The system allows you to tailor the app to only send you the notifications you need the most, such as severe weather changes.
What other weather alert services can I sign up for?
For Kansas City residents, you can subscribe to AlertKC, which is also run by Everbridge. You can sign up to receive alerts by using the online form.
Only approved messages from the city are sent through Everbridge’s system, according to the city’s website.
Once you’re signed up and registered to receive alerts for Kansas City, the app may also call you during severe weather events, such as a snowstorm or thunderstorm.
These are the type of alerts you can get after you sign up:
If you’re in Johnson County, you can also receive the same alerts through NotifyJoCo. You can register online or download the Everbridge app and set your notifications to only receive what you want. If you have problems with registering for NotifyJoCo, call 913-826-5555.
Like Kansas City, only approved messages go through NotifyJoCo’s system.
If you live in other parts of the metro, you can get the latest updates through the National Weather Service. Check the current warnings for the area online.
A live data feed from the National Weather Service containing official weather warnings, watches, and advisory statements. Tap warning areas for more details. Sources: NOAA, National Weather Service, NOAA GeoPlatform and Esri.
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