Following a week of severe weather and storms across Champaign County, the Champaign Countywide Communication Center is encouraging residents to sign up for SMART Weather Alerts through the Everbridge Member Portal.
The SMART Weather system allows residents to select the specific weather alerts they want to receive. When an opted-in weather alert affects an address listed in a resident’s Member Portal profile, Everbridge can automatically send the notification through the delivery methods the resident has configured.
Officials say the alerts are location-based, meaning residents will only receive an alert when the weather event directly affects the area associated with their profile. For example, if severe weather is impacting the eastern portion of Champaign County, residents in the western portion of the county may not receive an alert if their location is outside the affected area.
The alerts are issued directly by the National Weather Service, not the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency or the Champaign Countywide Communication Center. Because of that, local officials say they do not control when the weather alerts are issued.
Residents who have already subscribed but are not receiving notifications should first make sure the address or location listed in their Member Portal profile is correct. They should also verify that their preferred delivery methods are properly configured.
How to Sign Up for SMART Weather Alerts
Residents can sign up through the Everbridge Member Portal HERE.
Once logged in:
- Open your profile subscriptions. Find the My Subscriptions section and select Edit.
- Expand Weather Alerts. Under Alert Subscriptions, select Weather Alerts to view the available alert types.
- Choose the alerts you want. Check the boxes for the weather events you would like to receive.
- Review required alerts. Some alerts may be designated as required and cannot be removed from a subscription.
- Set quiet-period preferences. If available, residents can select a time period during which they do not want to be contacted. Certain high-risk alerts may override these settings.
- Save your selections. Once saved, the selected weather alerts will become part of your Member Portal subscription preferences.
The available alert types depend on what has been configured and made available through the Member Portal.
With recent storms bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and other severe weather concerns to portions of Champaign County, officials say having timely information can help residents stay informed when dangerous weather is approaching their specific area.
The Champaign Countywide Communication Center also says it is available to come into the community to provide information about Everbridge or hold a sign-up event for residents or organizations interested in learning more about the system.
