During a large-scale emergency you may receive communications and/or notifications as it relates to the event. Based on the nature of the event, the alert will inform you on what the emergency is, where it is, what to do, and where to go.

Here is a breakdown of what those notifications might mean:

Evacuation Alert: This is a heads up that an evacuation order may be coming. It’s an opportunity to begin evacuation preparation, such as packing, communicating with family, planning routes out of your neighborhood, and potentially loading your vehicle.

Evacuation Order: This is the official order to evacuate. It means the potential impact to life and health may be imminent and the best course of action is to leave the area as soon as possible. These notifications generally contain a map of the affected area, what routes are impacted, what routes are safe, and where evacuees should go based on their location.

Shelter-In-Place: Depending on the nature of the emergency, sometimes it is safer to stay inside, or if you are not home, seek shelter immediately. The notification for this type of action will include instructions on what to do and where the safest areas of the building might be. For example: In the event of severe weather, it might tell you to find a central spot in your home and stay away from windows and doors.

Tornado Watch: Watches are intended to raise awareness of the public to the potential for hazardous weather conditions, and typically serve as a lead-up to a warning. This may be followed by instructions to begin shelter-in-place preparations or start heading in doors. 

Tornado Warning: Warnings are issued when severe weather is either imminent or occurring. The instructions to these will likely include a shelter-in-place order, followed by instructions on what to do.

Sources of alerts, information, and communication: