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DocDrew
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join:2009-01-28
SoCal

DocDrew to Nezmo

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to Nezmo

Re: [IMG] Emergency Alert System Broadcast Message Every week

Are EAS warnings really needed for Sandy when every news station in the US has coverage of it? What more information do you expect to get from an EAS alert?

Nezmo
The name's Bond. James Bond.
MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX

Nezmo

MVM

said by DocDrew:

Are EAS warnings really needed for Sandy when every news station in the US has coverage of it? What more information do you expect to get from an EAS alert?

Why did you suggest contacting local authorities if you think EAS is unneeded for this scenario?

DocDrew
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DocDrew

Premium Member

said by Nezmo:

Why did you suggest contacting local authorities if you think EAS is unneeded for this scenario?

In ANY case if you wonder why something may or may not have generated a real EAS alert, contact your local or regional EAS authorities since they are the ones who control it. A good example is your tornado warnings, you say you don't get any through EAS. Your local EAS authorities would be a good place to ask about that.

In this particular case what do you really expect to get beyond the multi-channel saturation news coverage? Is there some part of the storm that isn't getting covered that EAS can better alert you to locally? Is there not enough coverage? Is there not enough notification of evacuations? What would you ask the local EAS authorities to do with their EAS alerts concerning Sandy? How do you think EAS actually failed in this case?

In this case I can't see a need for EAS alerts, but I'm not local. Someone in Brooklyn, in the path of the Sandy, may see more need and want to know who to contact about it.

Some people complain there are too many alerts, some complain there aren't enough.

Nezmo
The name's Bond. James Bond.
MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX

Nezmo

MVM

said by DocDrew:

said by Nezmo:

Why did you suggest contacting local authorities if you think EAS is unneeded for this scenario?

...
In this case I can't see a need for EAS alerts, but I'm not local. Someone in Brooklyn, in the path of the Sandy, may see more need and want to know who to contact about it.

...

Exactly, I'm not in the path and apparently neither are you. Perhaps there are times when localized alerts might help, I don't know.

I live in a region that has catastrophic storms where issues can spring up fast and I can remember how many times the EAS has provided an alert - once. As you point out, the news is often a better source of info. So what is the point of EAS again? It doesn't seem to work or be of any use given the million other sources of info these days.

DocDrew
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2 edits

DocDrew

Premium Member

said by Nezmo:

So what is the point of EAS again? It doesn't seem to work or be of any use given the million other sources of info these days.

In my local area, EAS is used for flash flood alerts with specific geographic info that local/regional news doesn't cover as it's too localized and quick for them to cover before the fact. You'll find news covering the aftermath and damage when they get there a few hours later...

EAS isn't used for earthquakes though, between no warning, being too regional in effects, and widely covered by news which revels in aftermath and damage reports, EAS isn't any real help so I don't expect it.

EAS is good for relatively soon to occur, local issue warnings or MASS saturation, can't miss information straight from the government.

eival
join:2008-07-09
Richland, WA

eival to DocDrew

Member

to DocDrew
i live in florida and havent seen 1 damn EAS announcement override my programming ever, not even with Debby earlier this year, let alone when Sandy was just off the eastern shore, only reason i even knew it was there was cause i checked weather.com after the 2nd straight day of cloud cover and i see it right off the coast of miami...nice job of making people aware of possible danger incase they arent already aware of it, EAS, but thanks for screwing up my paused movie cache which was the last showing of its rotation in HD and only has SD broadcasts left...to let me know that the system test worked out fine at 3am each night

matter fact, i remember Debby was during one of the major PGA events and NBC or CBS who ever was broadcasting had their own warning stuck over the screen the with a looping map and scrolling text, horribly placed right where their regular on screen stats and boxes were placed with a mile of empty screen space below it that they could easily placed it there