Kentucky participated in a statewide tornado drill today, but we heard from so many of you that your phone never went off.  Many of you also told us you never heard the outdoor warning sirens, but those are not meant to alert you if you are indoors. It is not safe to rely on hearing an outdoor warning siren alone to alert you to an approaching tornado. Please let the lack of siren in your ears today be a reminder about having multiple ways to receive warnings. 

While your phone should not be your only way to receive weather warnings, it can be a helpful resource. Today's post will show you how to make sure your phone (iOS or Android) is set up to receive emergency alerts and how to set up your WDRB Weather app to make sure you are getting weather warnings. 

iOS

If you're using an iOS device, go to your Settings app. Scroll down until you find Notifications then scroll to the bottom of the screen. There you will find these "Government Alerts;" make sure they are turned on.

Then you'll want to find the WDRB Weather app listed on that same Notifications screen. When you click on it, you will see this screen pictured above. Set it up however you like, but make sure you give WDRB Weather permission to send you notifications. This allows the app to send you alerts; below we will look at how to set it up within the app to decide what kind of alerts you want it to send you. 

Android

If you have an Android phone, the settings will look a bit different. Go into the Settings then click on Apps & Notifications and look for Advanced. In the Advanced settings tap on Emergency Alerts to see this screen pictured above. Turn on each of the alerts you want to receive. 

WDRB Weather app

After you have gone through your phone settings to check notifications, you need to open your WDRB Weather app to check the settings in there. Once it's open, tap the three bars in the top right corner to drop down a menu. Click settings to go to this screen shown below. 

Station Notifications: Those are alerts sent to you from one of the five Meteorologists here at WDRB (Jude, Marc, Rick, Bryce, or myself). 

Weather Notification Types: Click on this line and you will find categories for Severe, Flooding, Wind, Winter, Tropical, Heat, Marine, and Other. We recommend turning ON each category to ensure you will receive all important alerts. 

Notification Sounds: If your phone is your primary means of receiving weather warnings, make sure this is turned ON. We do NOT recommend your phone being your Plan A, which is why the sounds in my app are turned OFF. 

If you are using other weather apps to alert you, check the setting within the app and the notification settings for your phone in general to make sure the alerts are enabled. If you have questions about your specific device, you can contact your phone provider or use the links at the top of this page to find me on social media and ask.