Emergency alerts warn you about fires and extreme weather. Here's how to sign up in your SoCal county (2024)

Natural disasters have affected nearly 90% of U.S. counties since 2013, and while many households know about preparing emergency kits, a recent FEMA survey found a large drop in how many people are signed up to receive emergency alerts and warnings.

Early warning systems save lives during disasters. To ensure you can receive these warnings via your phone, text, or email, we recommend turning on your phone’s alerts and signing up for your county’s emergency alert system.

Turn on your phone’s emergency alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) are one way authorities spread information to the community during an emergency. Most mobile phones are WEA-capable devices, and alerts are typically enabled by default. But if you’ve ever received an alert or test alert, there’s a chance you may have disabled them after hearing their signature alarm: an insistent and loud blare, accompanied by vibrations, that goes off on every phone in your vicinity. You can turn off some of the alerts you don’t want, while receiving the ones you do, so it’s worth checking your phone’s settings.

WEAs use cell towers to send notifications to all WEA-capable mobile phones within a specified target area, meaning you receive alerts for your current location, not your home address. WEAs may also occasionally reach some community members outside the target area, depending on the phones’ technology.

Here’s how to make sure your phone can receive WEAs.

On iPhones

1. Navigate to iPhoneSettings.
2. SelectNotifications.
3. Scroll to the bottom of theNotificationssection toGOVERNMENT ALERTS.
4. Next toPublic Safety Alerts, toggle the button on (it turns green). These alertsconvey“recommendations for saving lives and property.”
5. SelectEmergency Alerts.
6. On the following screen, ensure thatEmergency Alertsare toggled on.
7. TheLocal Awarenessoption improves the timeliness and accuracy of emergency alerts in the United States,according to Apple. Toggle to enable or disable.

Follow the steps above to turn on your iPhone’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your iPhone’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your iPhone’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your iPhone’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Here’s Apple’s page on how to turn on emergency alerts.

On Androids

1. Navigate to AndroidSettings.
2. Scroll down and selectSafety & emergency.
3. SelectWireless emergency alertsat the bottom of the screen.
4. On the following screen, ensure thatAllow alertsis toggled on.
5. ToggleExtreme threatsandSevere threatsto enable or disable alerts for threats to life and property.
6. TogglePublic safety messagesto enable or disable alerts with recommended actions to save lives or property.

Follow the steps above to turn on your Android’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your Android’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your Android’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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Follow the steps above to turn on your Android’s Wireless Emergency Alerts.

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You can also visit this “Android Help” page and select the blue “Control emergency broadcast notifications” option for instructions on how to manage WEA alert settings on Android.

Local text or email alerts

Authorities may not always use WEAs to circulate information, so it’s also important to enroll in your local government’s emergency alert system. During the deadly 2018 Camp Fire in California, authorities issued evacuation orders through Butte County’s emergency alerts, door-knocking, vehicle-mounted speakers, and social media posts—but did not send any WEAs. At the time, fewer than 40% of residents in Paradise, one of the towns destroyed in the fire, had signed up for the county’s alerts, according to a 2023 report.

According to Riverside County’s alerts and warnings page, “Wireless Emergency Alerts are important, but some of the most locally-specific and timely information can come from opt-in mass notification services like RiversideAlert.” Although some of these systems automatically enroll landline numbers, Californians must opt in to receive notifications on their mobile devices or via email.

There is no standardized emergency alert system across the United States; the enrollment process and your notification system’s features differ based on where you live. Different governments’ mass notification systems may include different types of alerts. Some only notify you in extreme situations, such as disaster evacuations, while others may also send alerts for missing persons or police activity. Note what kind of alerts your local system offers before signing up, and keep in mind you can often choose what type of alerts you’d like to receive.

Users will typically be asked to provide their mobile number, email, and street address. Many emergency alert systems have the option to register multiple street addresses, allowing you to keep tabs on other significant locations like your workplace or kids’ schools. Some also allow you to customize whether you’d like to receive alerts via phone call, text message, or email, and offer language and accessibility options. If customization options are not offered during initial enrollment, you may be able to log in after enrolling to change your settings and add additional information.

Emergency alert systems are often run through third-parties. Common ones include OnSolve CodeRED, Everbridge, Rave Mobile Safety’s Smart 911, and Genasys. If your local government uses a third-party system, you will generally be directed to that company’s website to enroll. Once you receive an emergency alert (or a signup confirmation), we recommend that you save the number to your Contacts and exclude it from being blocked when using your cellphone’s Do Not Disturb features.

Even if you’ve signed up for alerts previously, it’s worth checking to make sure you’re still registered with your county. Some governments may have transitioned to new systems and might not have migrated residents’ information.

How to sign up for your county’s alerts

Follow our instructions below to sign up for the most up-to-date alerts as of August 2024.

The list only includes information for California counties’ primary emergency alert systems. Some local governments may offer additional alerts through systems like Nixle or Notify Me, but no county in California uses either of these as their primary emergency alert system. If you are only registered with Nixle or Notify Me, you may miss crucial emergency alerts.

Find your SoCal county

Contra Costa County: Click on the “Community Warning System” link. In the black box with a yellow alert icon, click “Register to Receive Emergency Alerts” to get to the emergency alert system site. Click “Acknowledge” to proceed, then enter your information to register.

Imperial County: Check the box next to “Yes, I agree” to agree to the terms, then click “Continue” to proceed to the registration page. Follow instructions to enroll. As of publication, the Imperial County Public Health Department’s Reverse 911 website has a registration link that does not work. Imperial County Public Information Officer Eddie Lopez provided the alternative registration link and said the county is working on making updates to the outdated county page.

Inyo County: At the bottom of the page, click on the blue link following “Sign up for CodeRED automatic alerts here” to get to a CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications.”

Los Angeles County: Click the green “REGISTER FOR ALERT LA COUNTY” button to get to a CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.

Orange County: In the “Register Alternate Phone Numbers with AlertOC” section, follow the blue “AlertOC” link to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the top right-hand corner of the page to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.

Riverside County: Scroll down to the Alert RivCo registration form. Enter your information here to enroll. After enrolling, log in to your account to register your address with the system. You can choose to receive general notifications in addition to emergency notifications.

San Bernardino County: In the “TENS” section, click the blue “Register today” link to get to a Smart911 login page. Click the green “SIGN UP NOW” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.

San Diego County: Scroll down to the orange “AlertSanDiego” box and click the white “Register for emergency alerts” link to get to the Alert San Diego website. Click the green “Register for Emergency Alerts” option in the menu at the top of the page. Enter your information to enroll.

Santa Barbara County: Click the “Sign Up for ReadySBC Alerts” link in the orange box to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.

Santa Clara County: Scroll down to the “Sign Up Today!” section and click on the blue “Sign Up” button to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.

Ventura County: Click the red “REGISTER HERE” button on the right-hand side of the page to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Follow instructions to register.

One note: Listos California, part of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, provides a look-up tool to find alerts in California. Daniel Gutiérrez, project manager at Listos California, said that the office relies on counties to reach out when they change alert systems. This may occasionally lead to the tool providing outdated information.

Signing up for emergency alerts is a crucial first step in preparing for a natural disaster, but it’s not the last. Alerts delivered via phone or email rely on some combination of phone service, internet, and power, all of which could go down during a natural disaster.

Government agencies, however, have also used non-electronic emergency alerts for a long time, including door-to-door knocking or vehicle-mounted speakers. But you may find yourself in a position where you need to evacuate an area before an official order has even been issued. So don’t forget to develop a comprehensive disaster plan and review it with your household.