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ZEBULON - Pike County will be providing automated severe weather warnings to residents through CodeRED. CodeRED Weather Warning system will be replacing the existing weather call back system. CodeRED Weather Warning system, an automated weather warning technology that delivers phone calls, text messages and emails to registered residents and businesses within the direct path of severe weather.
The CodeRED Weather Warning system will serve as the backbone of Pike County’s emergency planning and communications outreach to residents by using the system capabilities to automatically deliver critical weather alerts to those within the projected path of a tornado, severe thunderstorm or flash flood. The system, which was released in 2007, uses advanced polygon methodology and proprietary message delivery to ensure all notifications are delivered to those within the direct path of the storm. Those not living within the projected path will not receive a call.
“We have heard from other communities using this technology that residents are regularly notified of severe weather before they hear about the storm on the TV, radio or anywhere else. The speed of the message delivery is critical for this type of warning technology, and we selected this service because of its unrivaled experience delivering targeted messages,” said Jimmy Totten, Pike County Emergency Management Director.
All residents living within Pike County are encouraged to visit public.coderedweb.com/CNE/1A53E0DEB62F to enroll to receive weather warnings. This CodeRED link will also remain on the Pike County Commissioners' web site, the Pike County Fire Department's web site, and on the right hand side of the Pike County Times Home Page for citizens to enroll in this service for weather warnings. Weather notifications can be delivered by phone calls, text messages or emails, or a combination of the three. Additionally, the CodeRED enrollment page gives residents the opportunity to select which types of severe weather warnings they would like to receive.
Residents are reminded that only warnings that impact their exact address will be notified because of advanced technology used to reduce false alarm. There is also a mobile phone app available that users may download for free. This app will alert users of the same weather warnings in their area if that area uses CodeRED Weather Warning system. So, if you are in Texas and the area you are in uses the same system, you will receive warnings in that area.
If residents were signed up with the previous weather warning call back system, they will be automatically enrolled in this system to receive tornado warnings. If they wish to receive additional warnings they should visit one of the web sites and enroll to receive additional warnings.
The new system will go live by July 1st, with a test call happening that week, weather permitting.