Stay Safe: Sign Up for Free Emergency Alerts in California

Press release from the California Office of Emergency Services:

Signing up for emergency alerts provides essential time and information ahead of a disaster, as well as updated guidance during, to help ensure the safety of you and your family during an emergency.

Every California county offers free emergency alerts to support residents during crises. Enroll in alerts for your residential and workplace counties to stay informed and prepared.

Emergency alerts provide immediate notification on cell phones and other mobile devices when emergencies happen in areas that may be, or currently are, under evacuation warnings or orders. Knowing when to evacuate can save lives.

Be sure to understand evacuation terminology should you find yourself in an emergency:

Evacuation Warning: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.

Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.

Shelter in Place: Go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.

Evacuation Order(s) Lifted: The formal announcement of lifting evacuations in an area currently under evacuation.

Hard Closure: Closed to all traffic except Fire and Law Enforcement.

Soft Closure: Closed to all traffic except Fire, Law Enforcement and critical Incident resources (i.e. Utility, Caltrans, City/County Roads etc. or those needed to repair or restore infrastructure).

Resident Only Closure: Soft closure with the additional allowance of residents and local government agencies assisting with response and recovery.

Visit calalerts.org or Listoscalifornia.org/alerts to sign up now.