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The National Weather Service is teaming up with area County Emergency Management Departments and cell phone providers to send severe weather alerts to your phones.
By August, the new Wireless Emergency Alert system will begin send warnings for tornadoes, flash floods, blizzards and ice storms to cell phone towers for affected counties.
These will then go automatically to many newer-model cell phones within range.
Atchison County Emergency Preparedness Director Wes Lanter says the texts will not cost the person receiving them.
(Play Audio) RT: :20
In addition to weather alerts, the system can broadcast AMBER alerts and national emergencies.
About 10 percent of cell phones in use today are already capable of receiving alerts.
The wireless industry estimates that by 2014, nearly all phones on the market will be WEA-capable.
To find out if your phone is capable of receiving the alerts, you are encouraged to contact your wireless service provider.
© Many Signals Communications
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