Beyond the Storm: A look at storm chaser Ed Grubb

Whether it’s on the High Plains of Colorado or the heart of Tornado Alley, storm chaser Ed Grubb always has his head in the clouds.

“Ooh, this is going to be a good day,” he said as he rubbed his hands together, smiling menacingly as he begins to explained what he meant by a “good day” to freelance journalist Brantley Hardrove on June 16, 2014. He explained to Hardrove that their position north of the warm front put them in prime position for the action of the day ahead, and other notable chasers agreed.

He was right about it being a good day; well, at least being a good day for a storm chaser. For Ed Grubb, a severe weather researcher formerly with Team TWISTEX as seen on the Discovery Channel, June 16 was a career day. He saw five tornadoes that day in Nebraska and Iowa; four of those tornadoes were EF-4’s with winds exceeding 160 mph, and two of those tornadoes were twins that ravaged the town of Pilger next to each other.

June 16 and the infamous Pilger twin tornadoes were a day that was more than 40 years in the making for Grubb. Beginning his storm chasing career in 1974, Grubb has seen more than 180 tornadoes to date.

Rochelle: Let’s begin with your younger years. Where did you get your start?

Ed Grubb: I graduated from A-West, then I moved to the [Colorado] School of Mines. I attended there for little over four years. I played football at Mines, but my eligibility was used at that point, so the incentive for me to stay wasn’t there anymore. In 1976, I opted to transfer to Metro. I pursued a geology degree there, but I also nearly finished a land use degree in the same time.

Okay, so what did you do after you graduated?

I immediately went into the oil and gas industry as a petroleum geologist, and although very successful with that I was, but the industry retracted severely in the mid-eighties. There was probably one job for 10,000 geologists, so the writing was on the wall that I needed to get out of there and find something else to do. I became a Pizza Hut manager. (laughs) In 1989, I finished some studies at Front Range and I got an associates in hazardous materials management, and I was hired by Adams County School District 14 to oversee their hazardous materials program and safety program.

That’s a winding path to lead you to what you’re known for: chasing tornadoes. What brought you into meteorology?

I retired from there in May of 2009. At that point, I was able to go back to my true hobby and interest, which was meteorology. It freed up a lot of time, so that I could go chase whenever I wanted to; I didn’t have anything tying me back anymore. Actually, [in the early 2000’s], I returned to Metro for some weather classes. I wanted some training in weather because I had it in my mind that once I retired I was going to chase. I had been used to chasing Colorado, [but] the severe weather here is a little less severe than Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas; Tornado Alley in general, so I wanted to go out there and learn some more.

That’s a really cool (and smart) intro into the field. How did you start chasing?

In those classes, I met [Storm Chaser] Tony Laubach. Meeting Tony was something instrumental, in that about four years after I left Metro again on the weather related thing, I ran into him at a chaser convention here in town and I reintroduced myself, and we hit it off really nicely again. Since 2006, I’ve been chasing pretty consistently with Tony. Tony was the one that introduced me to Tim [Samaras] originally in 2006 at a severe weather talk at KUSA.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 30 years of chases
• 120 probe intercepts
• 180+ tornadoes
• 300+ chases

Was that when you began chasing with TWISTEX?

I didn’t really go out at with them until 2008. Tony called me wondering if I wanted to go out with TWISTEX on an official mission, and of course I jumped at the opportunity. That’s when we had the Tipton, KS intercept. Where we were, the tornado was less than 250 yards from where we were. We were in a mesonet vehicle. Tim had set down some probes and they were impacted by the tornado as it crossed the highway. So for me to be out here for the first time, and to be able to look up at the top of the funnel turning right above us and a huge CG come through the funnel, I mean I wasn’t afraid at all during this intercept, I was just in awe, full of adrenaline, and full of excitement with it.

Did that start an adrenaline addiction?

Oh yeah! Well, I’d say for a year, then after that I became more mechanical, more, “I got a job to do and I need to focus.” I can do my job, and then after the fact, I would kind of go, “wow, that was really cool!” I would say that since 2010, when I was really chasing with TWISTEX everyday that they were out in 2011, I pursue it that way, in a mechanical way. I rain in some of my adrenaline so I can focus on what I’m supposed to do. Now that I’m not with TWISTEX right now, I can go out on my own, and I tend to get a little excited. That’s just me, but I’m not screaming and yelling out the window, I can contain myself.

The last day TWISTEX embarked as a team was on May 31, 2013, before the 2.6 mile-wide El Reno tornado impacted Carl Young, Tim Samaras and his son, Paul Samaras. Were you chasing that day?

I wasn’t. I had chased up until the day before, and my daughter’s birthday is on May 31. So I promised her I was coming back. That morning in Wichita, I woke up and I packed my stuff outside. The air was just totally juiced in Wichita. I probably got to about Colby, KS and the PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) watch was issued, so I was monitoring everything, Deep in my gut, I wanna be out there, this is prime, this is it, but I promised. As soon as I got to my house, I pulled up Tony’s live stream. That night, I thought wow, I missed a big tornado and then I wondered if Tim, Paul and Carl were on that. I didn’t hear anything and I didn’t see Carl post anything, so I thought it was strange. The next day, still nothing, but I hadn’t heard anything [bad] either. I was concerned, but I wasn’t freaked out.

The El Reno tornado impacted lots of chasers. How did you find out about Tim, Paul and Carl?

[The next day], I still didn’t see anything, but yet I hadn’t heard anything on the news. With someone of Tim’s stature, being the expert tornado person he was, if something had happened, it would have been flashed immediately. At 10 p.m., still nothing. At midnight, Tony calls, said they were caught in the tornado and were killed. Now I’m wide-awake. Mark Austin, a meteorologist in Norman, OK at the National Weather Service, called me because were friends. He sends me a picture and I’m looking at this crumpled white mass. I centered on the one wheel that’s there and I pull up another picture of M3 (mesonet vehicle), which is what Tony and I drove. I compare it to the zoom in of the other, and it’s the same. You can see the color of the upholstery is the same, the contour of the bottom of the door is the same. You can’t tell it’s a Cobalt, but you know it’s the Cobalt. So I call Mark back, and I say, “yeah, there’s no question in my mind that’s the white Cobalt.”

How has their legacy changed you as a chaser? What does “staying weather saavy”, in reference to Tim’s last tweet, mean to you?

For me, weather savvy, in that context, is to respect what’s there. Don’t take it for granted that you’re going out of it alive at the end of the day. If it’s be down in your cellar, go down in your cellar! Unless you have special training, you don’t know what to do, so take it from the people who know to keep yourself safe.

Any tips for young chasers?

Take classes, go out with people who have been doing it for several years. Get a lot of friends who share the same love of meteorology, because you learn a lot from friends. Definitely learn as much as you can, for as long as you can, because you are going to learn a lot. As old as I am, I have probably learned more in the last 10 years than I knew the first 30.

It's time to learn weather basics to help save your life

May 3rd, 1999. 36 dead in Moore, Okla. 324 killed in April of 2011 in a three-day period across the eastern half of the US from the deadliest tornado outbreak since 1974. May 22nd, 2011. 162 people are killed from a single tornado in Joplin, Missouri, making it the deadliest modern tornado. May 20th, 2013. 24 people died once again in Moore, Okla., seven of those being children at an elementary school. 8 dead following a monstrous 2.6 mile wide tornado with winds in excess of 295+ mph in El Reno, Okla on May 31, 2013.

            In a world of such advanced technical innovations, it seems outlandish that severe weather and tornadoes are still unpredictable, yet it’s still an unfortunate truth that the effects have such a devastating effect on life and property. Although agencies like the Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service have always had public forecasts and also predict severe events up to a week beforehand, there still is a great divide between the forecasters and the general public when it comes to staying safe during tornadic events.

            Despite the efforts of public enterprises such as NOAA and private such as local news media, the public still overlooks the need for severe weather preparedness, as well as the knowledge to understand the storm and seek safety during these events.  Although progress has been made recently due technological advances combined with previous messaging and education from government agencies and the media, the safety of people during tornadoes ultimately lies on that individual through education, awareness and preparedness of these incredibly deadly storms.

            In a study conducted by the University of Oklahoma, it was found that 36% of Texans and 30% of Oklahomans didn’t know the difference between a weather watch and a weather warning. Compared to California, these numbers didn’t see as dramatic, as over 50% of Californians didn’t know the difference. However, for two states that are known for their severe weather, nearly a third of the population that doesn’t know the difference between watches and warning is staggering. This lack of one of the most basic of knowledges of severe weather creates a snowball effect, limiting the individuals to enact their preparedness actions at the proper time, jeopardizing life-saving seconds. For that, it must be the duty of the individual to learn some of the most basic vocabulary that relates to their personal safety when in a tornado-prone area. Another extremely underutilized education tool is the forecaster themselves. A clear explanation of a watch and a warning, as well as additional material is readily available through organizations such as the American Red Cross and FEMA, and is also expressed often by the media during the events, however people ignore it. Both local newscasters as well as those at the storm prediction center are one of the best tools, as many use social media and would be more than happy to give a more personalized forecast for a personal neighborhood. This contact with the forecaster is useful before the storm, but using social media to follow these people during tornadic events would be useful if internet and electricity are available.

            In the fallout of the devastating Tuscaloosa tornado on April 26, 2011, officials conducted a town hall meeting surveying a random group of people affected by the tornado. One of the staggering facts of this meeting was the number of people who claimed they weren’t aware of the impending danger. The residents of Tuscaloosa aren’t the first to sing this claim, as many victims of the brutal destruction claim that there was no warning. While this is more likely in incredibly rural areas where cell phone reception is scare and the media may not be accessible, the sheer numbers of these claims in populated areas are mindboggling. After the implementation of Wireless Emergency Alerts, which automatically end alerts directly to your cell phone by location, local government is making it harder to use that claim. Awareness is critical to safety, and being aware is easy. Apps such as The Weather Channel and the Red Cross’ “Tornado” make it as simple as possible by providing weather radio, current Doppler radar and automatic push warnings just by downloading the app. While these are great utilities, they rely on power and cellphone reception. The best thing to do to become aware is to buy a physical weather radio and locate the closest sirens during testing days to learn what to listen for when there’s impending severe weather.

            Tornado preparedness is the skill that pays off before, during and after the storm. Before, the prepared individual has a defined plan of what to do when severe weather strikes, to help alleviate the stress of riding out the storm, as well as the ability to hit the ground running for the rebuilding process. During the storm, the prepared individual will know where to hide and what to do while seeking shelter, as well when it’s safe to emerge from shelter. After the storm, the prepared individual will be able to begin rebuilding immediately by having an out-of-town-contact to stay with, as well as by having a digital copy of all essential documents. Through simple actions such as buying a NOAA weather radio, creating a preparedness kit with food and water to last enough for a few days, as well as creating copies of documents like birth certificates and financial and insurance forms, and individual can make the stress of a storm much easier, just with a short bit of preparedness.

            Different preparedness campaigns such “StormReady” and “Prepare Colorado” may have been started by the NWS, FEMA and the American Red Cross, but the will to stay safe falls on that of the individual. Through forecasts issued by the SPC days in advanced, finding multiple ways to receive tornado warnings as well as preparedness, individuals will be able to protect themselves and their family from one of Mother Nature’s deadliest forces. After every storm, we hear the death tolls and the torn lives, but we also see the stories of triumph and survival. The heroes of these storms that can help the rebuilding process immediately for those who may have not taken their commitment to safety as seriously. Through this safety they’ve created for themselves, they can begin spreading this message of safety everywhere, starting in their own community.

Facing fears to succeed in front of heroes

O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

            As that last note escaped from my mouth, there was a moment of silence. The moment felt like forever. That tiny millisecond of silence made me feel so defeated. I was so embarrassed. I had made a fool of myself in front of colleagues, in front of acquaintances, in front of professional hockey players. I made an idiot of myself in front of Joe Sakic.

            Then that moment was over. The applause rang out. Whoops, hollers and even a few cowbells were heard, in true minor league hockey fashion.

            As an intern for the Denver Cutthroats, the Central Hockey League farm team for the Colorado Avalanche, I was known around the rink as a quiet redhead who hobbled around due to my knee injury that left me in a full knee brace. On that cold Saturday night in February of 2013, I was anything but quiet when I let my voice be heard for the entire arena as I sang the Star Spangled Banner loud and proud.

            But this wasn’t just any night to sing the anthem.

            Press the rewind button and go back to October 2012, before I was an intern, before the Cutthroats had even started their inaugural season. As the NHL lockout pressed on and the city of Denver was hungry for some hockey, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the Cutthroats. As part of that buzz, I frequented the Denver Cutthroats’ website. I justified stalking their website by hoping to gain more insight into rosters; as there was a possibility of some lower-level NHL players making their way to Denver to stay in shape during the lockout.

One day as I was perusing the Fish website, I came across a link asking for audition tapes for anthem singers. I was an advanced singer throughout high school and had jammed with some friends, but being easily embarrassed, stage fright was a hurdle. Just earlier that summer, I had completely bombed an audition for another minor league hockey team. Despite that failure, I recorded a demo and sent it through cyberspace.

I received an email a few days later saying that they loved me, and asking which date would work best for me to sing. Not having any plans made four months out, I chose February 9.  Nothing out of the ordinary about that game, or so I thought.

            Fast-forward back to February, and that Saturday night is here. What I thought was a normal Saturday night game turned out to be far from ordinary. The performance I thought was going to be in front of two teams and a few thousand fans turned out to be in front of two teams, five thousand fans and notable Avalanche alumni such as Stephanne Yelle, Adam Foote, Scott Parker and soon-to-be Vice President of Hockey Operations, Joe Sakic. The pressure was on.

            Before I stepped onto the ice, a few of my co-interns wished me well. One of my friends escorted me onto the ice to make sure that I didn’t fall and further injure my knee. The minute or so that I was standing on the ice before I could sing felt like an eternity. One of the defensemen on the Cutthroats was making a tripping motion with his stick at me in an effort to calm my nerves, which just made me more nervous.

            Then it came time. My heart was racing. Those first words I could barely croak out…

            Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light?

Leveling the playing field

This just in: women enjoy sports. Shocking, right? A gender that makes up over half of the population enjoys something that has virtually no marketing aimed at their gender, aside from “going pink” for a month in support of breast cancer awareness (when in reality, only 5 percent of proceeds from sales actually go toward cancer research,) women really enjoy sports. Women enjoy playing sports. Women enjoy watching sports. Women enjoy reading about sports.

In the “most male-dominated space in U.S. newsrooms,” the number of female television sports anchors have 3% to 7.2% from 1996 to 2005, while the percentage of female sports reporters rose from 7% to 10.5%, according to an article discussing where women stood in local sports. The NBA hired its first paid, full-time female assistant coach for the 2014-2015 season. Hilary Knight, an Olympian on the US Women’s Ice Hockey Team, trained and practiced with the Anaheim Ducks, making her one of the few women to skate with an NHL team. In the world of E-Sports, girls were able to attend Robert Morris University to play popular online game League of Legends alongside their male counterparts on a scholarship that was the first of its kind.

We, as a society, tell our girls as children that they can be anything that they want to be, but at the first sign of a challenge, we suppress their want to excel and they become grounded. They are then pushed back with tired rhetoric, telling them that they’re not fit for the field because of how they look or what they think. It’s time for a power play to take the momentum back.

‘Uninterested Women’

In September of 2014, the Internet was taken over by a social media phenomenon that even months later has left those outside of the gaming world confused. When #Gamergate broke on Twitter, it was thought the original issue at hand was the morality of a developer who was accused of sleeping with a video game journalist. Soon after, the f-bomb was dropped, and #Gamergate, the issue of women in E-Sports, and sports in general took a drastic turn.

And no, the f-bomb isn’t that four-letter word. It’s feminism. It’s time to level the playing field in sports.

“So while you’re enthusing about Dominic Moore’s scoring record, she’d rather hear about how he supported his wife’s battle with cancer – and even took a season off from the NHL at the height of his career. Treat your heroes as people and not just players on a field, and you’ll suck her in.”
-Excerpt from Men’s Health Article

A month after the #Gamergate scandal broke and dominated Twitter’s trending topics, Men’s Health Magazine tried to help the guys by giving them “The Secret to Talking Sports with Any Woman”. The article, which was swiftly deleted after an outcry on Twitter, hooked you in by saying that things that interest you are unlikely to interest her, but you can still make a connection, and this is how: Storylines. Women aren’t interested in stats. Make it understandable. Give it empathy. Make it relatable. What’s running up and down a field for 60 minutes when we could have a story behind it?

Not only is it offensive that it’s assumed that women are only interested in storylines, it’s that women are only interested in human-interest stories, rather than someone who is legitimately talented in their trade. While the average person may not know much about wood working, it’s not hard to acknowledge and appreciate a brilliantly-carved piece of furniture when they see it without knowing the backstory – why should sports be any different for the average woman?

In the fallout, Men’s Health has tweeted their apologies, and says that they acknowledge all responsibility for the criticism they’re receiving, claiming that their story “missed the mark” and that they didn’t mean to suggest that women were inferior to men “in sports, or anything else”. If that’s the case, then why are you suggesting that women need a reason to like sports for any reason other than liking sports?

Team Jessi

Jessica Redfield was an aspiring sports journalist who’s life was cut short on July 20, 2012 in the Aurora Theater Shooting. Her spirit and drive carries on through the JRG Foundation, offering scholarships to other women pursuing careers in sports journalism.

Jessica Redfield-Ghawi was a fiery redhead who was well known in the Denver sports scene. Between being a student at Metro State University of Denver, an intern at many local sports broadcasting stations and an outspoken hockey fan, Redfield was hard to miss with big aspirations in the world of sports broadcasting. Her life was cut tragically short when she was killed amongst 11 others on July 20, 2012 in the Aurora Theater Shooting. While the world saw the face of one of the 12 killed, a mom saw the face of her daughter, an aspiring sports journalist. “That’s what she wanted to be,” said Sandy Phillips, mother of Jessica Redfield-Ghawi and now activist at The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “We’re just here to pick up where she left off.”

In light of Jessi’s death, as Sandy liked to call her, the Jessica Redfield Ghawi Foundation, has been started in her honor. The foundation has helped underprivileged children to play sports through equipment drives, a dream Jessi had to help kids displaced by wildfire before her death. Also, JRG has sponsored the Women in Sports Expo, a conference that was held on at Metro State in 2013 to help inspire and connect women interested in pursuing a career in sports journalism. In addition, the foundation awards a scholarship to a woman pursuing a career in sports journalism as Jessi was. “She would have loved to have done something like this. She chased her dreams. To help other girls chase theirs? She would have loved it,” Sandy said.

Sandy boasted Jessi’s go-get-it attitude and her courageous work ethic to how she got so far. When challenged to a workout against professional hockey players, she would accept and succeed, albeit slightly out of breath due to being a journalist, not an athlete. Her poise and confidence pushed her in uncomfortable situations; when some would crack under pressure, she was able to slide on like butter.

“It wasn’t uncommon for her to walk through a rink and to hear ‘Headlights! Headlights!’ from the boys walking around. She didn’t even blink though, she just kept walking through,” said Phillips. “It’s sexy this and sexy that. Why do we have to be sexy? Why do we have to be objectified?”

“You think about headlines in sports recently, physical abuse, how it’s condoned. It’s finally reaching a turning point and respect is finally being turned around. We need to treat all sports as business and holding all sports with same standards. Bullying is faceless. Stand strong, call out, stand together and unify. When we do that, more men will come out and protect and stand up for women, rather then bully.”

The Runner

“Vegas was great! Ran a 3:39:29 marathon, so I qualified for Boston 2016, which was my goal!”

Susie Wargin has been a sports broadcaster in the Denver area nearly 20 years, and won her first Emmy in 2009 for “sportscast.”

To be a mother, a broadcaster, a realtor and a marathon runner would run some mad, but for Denver woman Susie Wargin, the chaos is all a part of what goes into her normal day. It isn’t a balancing act – it’s harmonizing. “It’s just worked into everything I do. I call it harmonizing because balance is never equal. I’ve been able to bring my kids to numerous functions where they’ve met huge stars,” said Wargin. “They’ve been going since they were babies so they know how to act, and because of the relationships I’ve established and the trust with media departments and athletes, my family is almost always welcome at events. I’m a mom and wife first, then a sportscaster, radio, co-host, Realtor, etc.”
Wargin originally got her start with driveway basketball, and when that competitive edge didn’t translate well onto a real court, she developed an interest in athletic training. She admits that if communications didn’t work, she would have pursued a career in sports medicine. “I thought I was the smarted girl around because I hung out with guys every day after school, taped their ankles and traveled to all the games on the bus. It was awesome,” Wargin said.

For Susie, she attributes her athletic career and her broadcasting career to nothing other than the longevity of hard work. She’s been lucky to establish and maintain relationships by being personable and bubbly, but by also being knowledgeable and witty. Rather than trying to prove why she deserves to be there as a woman, she proves why all women deserve to be there. “We have the advantage of looking different and being able to cultivate relationships differently (better) than men. I have gone through two pregnancies during my time walking through locker rooms and clubhouses and guys remember that; we talk kids and family. The guys in my business don’t have that connection.

“I’ve excelled because I’m a female that is always friendly, have curly hair that people remember, and while I don’t demand respect, I earn it by treating those I work with the same way I’d like to be treated. However I’d rather strive to be a kick ass, respected, top notch woman in this biz than a mediocre cookie-cutter guy.”

Women are entering male professional leagues. Women are anchoring evening news segments. Women don’t need storylines. Women don’t need to go pink. Women don’t need to justify why they’re here, just like they don’t need to prove why they belong. Women just like sports.

Beyond the Forecast: Lessons learned from the 2013 tornadoes

Originally posted at Metro Post-Telegraph

On May 31, 2013, the commonly thick air was even heavier that day in Oklahoma City. Although the skies started clear, many Oklahomans knew the sky could go from blue to black in minutes. Suddenly, the skies west of Oklahoma City became dark like night to at 5 p.m. – just in time for the evening commute.

Stay Weather Savvy’, the last tweet from storm chaser Tim Samaras before he, his son Paul, and chase partner Carl Young were overtaken by 295+ mph winds in the El Reno, Oklahoma tornado on May 31, 2013.

Just south of El Reno, a tornado with a width of 2.4 miles and winds in excess of 295 mph, was tracking across the west side of the metro area, crossing I-40 and leaving destruction behind. In addition, the supercell thunderstorm that spawned the EF-3 tornado caused massive flooding, and the images of the twister turned into scenes of people abandoning their cars on I-35 to escape the storm.

Eight people died in the wake of the El Reno tornado, including three reputable storm chasers, raising questions about the necessity of storm chasers and their role to the media. From localized TV coverage, to the dramatic first looks of destructive tornadoes, to storm chasers, the weather community is trying to figure out where mistakes were made that cost lives and how they can improve for the next EF-5.

Ben Holcomb, a storm chaser from Norman, Okla., witnessed the EF-5 on May 20. In the days following did countless interviews, and his message across all platforms was the same: No matter how dangerous, delivering the live video to those impacted by the tornado is always worth it.

“It humanizes it. Forces people to take action,” Holcomb said. “It’s one thing to hear that there’s a large tornado on the ground. It’s something completely different to see a huge tornado and hear that it’s [down the street].”

On May 31, the threat for severe weather was immanent and local media relayed that message under clear skies, but viewers became confused by conflicting messages. While one station is telling residents to shelter in place regardless of where that may be, another is calling for a mass evacuation of the metropolitan area.

Dan Goff, former Chief Meteorologist at WUVT News at Virginia Tech has analyzed this event from both perspectives, hoping to seek clarity for himself.

“I don’t know what I’d do in that situation,” Goff said. “I have no idea. I hope what I do is right, but how will I know? I’ve never been in a situation of that magnitude, I’m going to do whatever I think will save lives, and that’s what both did that day.”

Prior to May 31, there have been very few storm chaser casualties credited to a tornado, many of which chasers will attribute themselves to their own stupidity and adrenaline, and never a chaser fatality. While the three storm chasers died gathering information and conducting research, other chasers impacted were chasing as a contributors to local media, or as a hobby chaser that later sold video to news organizations.

“It’s an inherent risk to chase,” Holcomb said, “But when you’re chasing to contribute video that could save lives, it’s worth it. When you’re some kid with a camera that puts yourself at the wrong place at the wrong time and you’re able to make thousands off of it, that’s when chasing isn’t worth it.”

After what we saw with [The Great Tornado Hunt], even being out there for the “right” reasons could get you killed. At the end of the day, it’s about ratings, and for the producer, the more dramatic, the better, according to Goff.

“It’s complicated, but the majority of contributed video will save lives,” Goff said. “I can’t speak to what these teenagers are doing with their cameras, but in the end, ignorance isn’t bliss in a life or death situation and the more information about a tornado we have, the better we will be when communicating that message.”

Wireless Emergency Alerts help to bridge gaps with millennials

Originally published in the Metro Post-Telegraph

It happens when you’re asleep. It happens during business meetings. It happens during family game night. It knows where you are.

The shrill tone comes across your phone with a constant vibration, jostling you to comprehend what this nuisance is. On your screen, it says “Emergency Alert!”

It’s loud, it’s annoying, but it works. More than working, it saves lives.

This isn’t your phone having a meltdown, or an app that you forgot you downloaded. It’s actually a Wireless Emergency Alert, or WEA for short. Just like the Emergency Alert System cuts across TV and radio to alert you about severe weather or civil emergencies, WEA does the same thing, just to your phone.

Alerts are issued for extreme weather situations, AMBER Alerts, local emergencies and Presidential Alerts during a national emergency. These messages are less than 90 characters in length, and typically refer you to local media for more details on the situation.

This feature began hitting smartphones in April of 2012, but many older phones were excluded from these alerts. Since the program launched, more phones have been added to the list of capable devices. To see if your phone is eligible, check with your mobile carrier. These alerts are complimentary, and won’t impact texting or data plans.

What alerts am I receiving?

• Weather alerts are issued for Tsunami, Tornado, Hurricane, Flash Flood, Typhoons, Dust Storm and Extreme Wind Warnings

• AMBER Alerts are issued in critical child abduction situations where the child’s safety is in immediate danger.

• Presidential alerts are issued in instances of national emergency, such as a terrorist attack.

• Additional warnings may come from local law enforcement and emergency management for things like evacuations for wildfire.

Residents of the Denver area first saw this feature in action in Oct. 2012, when an AMBER Alert was issued for the disappearance of Jessica Ridgeway.

“It really scared me,” said Colin McAuliffe, a freshman at Metro State. “For these alerts to have never gone off before and for me to get one out of the blue on my phone, it was pretty scary. After I realized what it was, I thought it was cool.”

With the advent of the Internet and smartphones, millennials are less apt to listen to the radio or watch basic cable, which is where most of these alerts were broadcasted originally. Because of these alerts, more people have an elevated situational awareness.

“I don’t have cable at my house, and I typically listen to the music on my phone while in my car. When the floods started last year, I was driving and got a Flash Flood Warning on my phone,” said James Norton, a junior at CCD. “It might have saved my life.”

Critics of the system are skeptical due to the fact that these alerts are based on location, with the fear of the government tracking them to alert them. Instead, these alerts are broadcasted through cell towers.

Using a weather event as an example, the National Weather Service will issue a warning that covers approximately 100 sq. miles, and every cell tower in the warning area will receive the alerts. The best part is that if you drive into the warning area after an alert is issued but is still active, you’ll still receive the alerts.

Thanks to technology, staying safe has never been easier. Although these alerts are obnoxious, 30 seconds of annoyance is much better than potentially endangering yourself.