Officials plan to adjust 'alert'
Thursday's severe weather showed flaws in alert system
Carl Smith
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: News
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Sophomore Lauren Leslie said she appreciated the alerts she did receive, even though she received them after the storm had passed.
"I think the system is a great way to reach students since most of us take our cell phones to class," she said. "However, it's too little too late when you get the messages and the storm has already run its course. I think some improvement should be done as far as sending the messages out sooner."
The late, incomplete text messaging was not the only problem to emerge from Thursday's events.
According to the University Relations report, the Emergency Operations Center experienced problems with the information it was receiving.
"We sometimes were receiving conflicting information about existing weather conditions," Watson said in the release. "We will identify a central and consistent source of accurate information for the future."
Charles Wax, geosciences professor and state climatologist, said the Emergency Operations Center experienced problems due to the rapid development of the weather and the fact that two main contacts for the center, Mike Brown and Jim Britt, were out of town.
"Information would have flowed a bit easier, but that severe weather slipped up on us so quickly that I'm unsure if things would have gone any better," Wax said. "We're now addressing the problem, ensuring that if someone's out of town, we'll have a backup here ready to fill in."
"I think the system is a great way to reach students since most of us take our cell phones to class," she said. "However, it's too little too late when you get the messages and the storm has already run its course. I think some improvement should be done as far as sending the messages out sooner."
The late, incomplete text messaging was not the only problem to emerge from Thursday's events.
According to the University Relations report, the Emergency Operations Center experienced problems with the information it was receiving.
"We sometimes were receiving conflicting information about existing weather conditions," Watson said in the release. "We will identify a central and consistent source of accurate information for the future."
Charles Wax, geosciences professor and state climatologist, said the Emergency Operations Center experienced problems due to the rapid development of the weather and the fact that two main contacts for the center, Mike Brown and Jim Britt, were out of town.
"Information would have flowed a bit easier, but that severe weather slipped up on us so quickly that I'm unsure if things would have gone any better," Wax said. "We're now addressing the problem, ensuring that if someone's out of town, we'll have a backup here ready to fill in."
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Jennifer
posted 10/23/07 @ 8:45 AM CST
I am signed up and have received the "tests" texts but never received a text during the actual storm. I don't have a text messaging contract and pay 10 cents for each text. (Continued…)
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