A wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) is a system designed to inform the public about hazardous weather, missing children (Amber Alerts), and other critical situations. These messages are brief and deliver important, potentially life-saving information.
They are geographically targeted, meaning they are sent to specific areas where a threat to safety exists. There's no need to sign up to receive a WEA. (Phones automatically come with this turned on; make sure you have not turned off the ability to receive emergency alerts.)
Goodhue County has discontinued the use of CodeRed Public Alerting. We have now transitioned to a new alerting software called Everbridge. Please note that Goodhue County does not offer a public portal for signing up for Everbridge. Instead, we use Everbridge Resident Connect, which provides us with verified mobile, landline, and VoIP records for emergency notifications. Everbridge will not alert residents of severe weather; the National Weather Service will use a WEA, if necessary.
Sirens in Goodhue County are activated by the Goodhue County Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). All sirens, except those in the City of Pine Island (activated by Olmsted County), are triggered simultaneously. The sirens only sound once and do not reactivate for an all-clear signal or to indicate that a storm has moved to another area. Sirens are meant to be heard outdoors. These sirens are activated for Tornado Warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Additionally, they may be activated if a trained storm spotter reports wind gusts exceeding 70 mph.
It is important to note that the sirens do not sound for any incidents related to the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (PINGP). The State of Minnesota will provide information about PINGP via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA).
