With the risk of severe weather in our area and the reputation as Flash Flood Alley, now is the time to register for emergency warnings at warncentraltexas.org. Travis County is encouraging everyone to register cellphone numbers and email addresses to receive emergency alerts by text, email or phone call about their neighborhood.
“Using warncentraltexas.org, we give registered users reliable information about emergencies in their specific community,” said Travis County Emergency Management Coordinator Stacy Moore-Guajardo. “Registered users can easily receive important information to help protect themselves and their family, even when they are not at home.”
When local emergency personnel and government officials identify a serious threat, they can directly contact those who are most affected to give them vital information. The information may include items such as:
- If or when residents need to evacuate their homes during floods and fires,
- If or when residents should take shelter during inclement or severe weather,
- What areas residents should avoid if a nearby hazardous materials spills occurs,
- What residents should do during a police manhunt, or
- How to take health precautions during a boil water notice or prolonged power outage.
The Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) uses the 9-1-1 database to call landline phones, but the number of landline users is steadily declining as more people make cellphones their main communication tool. By registering cell phones and email addresses to receive emergency alerts, a person can stay informed even when they are not at home. Because the region uses the same notification system, anyone can register their email and cell numbers to multiple locations in the region, so that they receive alerts about their home, office or even a local vacation home. Contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses, is only used for emergency and major incident notification.
This notification service is provided through CAPCOG. Warncentraltexas.org serves Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson counties.
