Government ready to launch Wireless Emergency Alerts - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Starting this month, you may see a new type of alert show up on your cell phone.

They're called wireless emergency alerts and they are sent by the government.

You already see emergency alerts on your TV and hear them on the radio.

Starting this month, you may start seeing them on your phone.

Wireless Emergency Alerts are sent by the government to your cell phone.

WEA's will look and sound different from other types of alerts on your phone.

The new technology will be able to detect your cell phone's exact location through cell phone towers and determine if you are in the warned area.

Alerts will include national emergencies issued by the president and amber alerts.

Tornado, flash flood, blizzard and ice storm warnings are the type of alerts Iowans will likely receive.

WEA's will work even when standard mobile voice and text messages will not.

All alerts are free of charge and you may opt out of most of the alerts by contacting your cell phone provider.

A limited number of phones are currently WEA capable.

But by 2013, all phones will be able to receive these alerts.

The alert system goes live June 18th, but not all cell phone carriers have opted into the WEA program.

To find out if your phone will receive these alerts CLICK HERE.