ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Storms may be on the horizon, but residents across Western North Carolina have several ways to stay informed and prepared, officials say.
The National Weather Service’s Greenville-Spartanburg office reminds the public that Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEA, can deliver weather warnings directly to cell phones for free. Alerts are sent only to users in affected areas and include both a tone and vibration. More information is available here.
Local governments and emergency management agencies have also implemented notification systems to provide residents with critical updates.
Asheville
Buncombe County
The county’s BCAlerts system, powered by CodeRED, allows residents to receive emergency notifications and general county information via smartphone, phone, or email. Users can sign up by texting “BCAlert” to 99411 or visiting the county website. Alerts can cover emergencies, weather, recreation services, elections, governing updates, and more. Residents previously registered with Nixle must re-register to continue receiving messages after June 30.
Black Mountain
Henderson County and Hendersonville
Transylvania County
The county recently launched Rave Alert, a mass notification system that delivers messages across multiple channels. Residents can sign up by texting “TCRave” to 67283 or visiting bit.ly/TCRave…