Many times the call doesn’t come until after the warning has passed. That’s why some emergency officials ask people to keep a lookout of their own.
IREDELL COUNTY -- Early warning notification systems were put to the test this past week as several tornadoes swept across North Carolina, leaving a lot of damage and some questioning how the program works.
Some counties use a reverse 911 system to alert residents of pending danger. It allows them to contact thousands of people in the direct line of a pending storm or tornado. But sometimes word can’t get out quick enough.
“When we get a tornado warning from the National Weather Service, we automatically send out a Connect CTY message,” said David Martin with Iredell Co. Emergency Services. “I sent out three tornado warning messages in the last week."
There are now more people who use cell phones instead of landlines. That’s one problem for emergency services directors. Also, there’s a timing issue with trying to warn so many people in so little time.
Early warning notification systems were put to the test this past week as several tornadoes swept across North Carolina, leaving a lot of damage and some questioning how the program works.
“When you're notifying 12,000 people, or 12,000 homes, it takes a while to call all of them,” said Martin.
Many times the call doesn’t come until after the warning has passed. That’s why some emergency officials ask people to keep a lookout of their own.
“A weather radio is your best line of defense,” said Martin.
Mecklenburg Co. and Gaston Co. officials use a similar reverse 911 calling system as Iredell Co. However, the tornado that occurred Friday morning in Gaston Co. formed so quickly that officials were unable to warn any residents.