Latest news with #WirelessEmergencyAlertSystem
The Hill
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Casar, Crockett call for FEMA, NOAA details on Texas flood prep, response
Texas Democratic Reps. Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett are demanding details and documents from federal agencies tasked with tracking and responding to disasters after catastrophic flooding in recent days killed more than 100 people in Texas Hill Country. Crockett and Casar penned letters Friday seeking information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about preparations for and response to the Texas flood, including whether recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to the National Weather Service (NWS) played a role. Their inquiries also come as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, impeded search and rescue efforts with certain rules. The letters from Casar and Crockett, who sit on the House Oversight Committee, were also signed by the committee's ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). 'The tragic loss of life suffered underscores the urgent need to understand what contributed to this disaster,' the lawmakers wrote in the letters. 'Rigorous oversight is needed not only to provide answers to grieving communities in Central Texas, but to save lives in future extreme weather events.' In their letter directed to FEMA acting chief David Richardson, the Democratic lawmakers asked the agency to provide records of communications with Noem and her top aides, as well as all documents and discussions regarding state and local requests to DHS or FEMA. CNN reported Thursday that Noem's cost control measures that require her direct approval for all contracts and grants over $100,000 may have slowed the federal response to the Texas floods. Noem rejected the notion during an appearance on Fox News later that day. 'Fake News,' she said. 'It's absolutely trash what they're doing by saying that.' President Trump, who is in the Lone Star State to survey the damage, has also come to the former South Dakota governor's defense, telling NBC News late Thursday that Noem was 'right on the ball' and has 'done a great job.' The Texas Democrats are specifically requesting 'any policies, procedures, memos, or internal reports detailing the DHS Secretary's authority related to spending rules' and 'any written directive, policy, memo, or other document related to the requirement to get Secretary Noem's approval for any contracts or grants over $100,000.' Their letter to NOAA, meanwhile, centered on how the public was alerted about the threat of dangerous flash flooding. They requested communications that took place between NOAA and Texas authorities and with local media, copies of NWS emergency alerts and a 'detailed explanation' about how the national Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert System were used. The lawmakers also penned a third letter Friday, urging the Commerce Department's inspector general, which oversees NOAA, to conduct an investigation into disaster warning systems.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nuclear power plant to replace sirens with phone alerts
SALEM TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It's a sound all too familiar to many who live in NEPA: The alert siren at the Steam Electric Plant, but that loud shrill will soon be replaced by a 'ding,' a simple notification on your cell phone. The Susquehanna Steam Electric Station in Berwick has been using sirens as its primary emergency alert system, for decades. Now, that's about to change, but not everyone we spoke to likes the new system. The sound of sirens is something residents living near the Susquehanna nuclear facility are all too familiar with. 'It's a little loud, not gonna lie. I have two kids. I have one, two-year-old, gonna be, and a 10-year-old. They wake up in the middle of the night because the sirens go off at random,' Nikki Swisher from Wapwallopen. The sirens are currently used as the primary emergency alert system at the facility, but soon, they'll be a thing of the past. The Luzerne County Department of Emergency Services Emergency Management Agency (EMA) recently announced that the facility would do away with the sirens starting April 1, switching to FEMA's ipaws Wireless Emergency Alert System as its primary method for emergency alerts. The system will automatically send cell phone alerts without the need to subscribe or download an app. Bresnahan, Meuser respond to claims of federal benefit cuts Talen Energy, majority owner of the plant, said in a public information release in part: This decision is not driven by cost, but rather how we can best protect the public. IPAWS and CodeRED are established systems that have been successfully used in our community for a number of years. They offer greater functionality and reach because they can notify and provide instructions at the same time. Talen Energy Some people who live near the plant say cell technology is so common it's a perfect way to send an alert. Others say it could be a problem for seniors. 'Everybody's got a phone nowadays. So if you do an alert, everybody, they do AMBER Alerts, so why not do it with the power plant?' Berwick resident Justin Weaver asked. 'I think my concern would be what about our elderly? Our elderly, a lot of them don't have cell phones, don't have technology, and they're a more vulnerable population,' Allison Smith from Berwick said. 'The more people that are aware, the better, because disasters, like I said, can happen any time and you're not always by your TV. So if you have your cell phone on you or your smartwatch, whatever, perfect. You're good to go,' Swisher added. Now, Luzerne and Columbia County residents can also sign up for code red emergency alerts to their cell phones and landlines You can find a fact sheet about the emergency alerts and notifications below: Susquehanna-Emergency-Notification-Fact-Sheet-and-FAQs_vFDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
