CAPCOG urges use of warnings for bad weather

Mayor Jane Hughson’s report to the city council on happenings with the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) last week focused on emergency warning services.

During her report to council, Hughson said the CAPCOG executive committee reviewed recommendations for Homeland Security grant funds and discussed other topics.

“What we spent a lot of time on was emergency notifications for weather-related events such as flood, hurricanes, tornadoes, whatever else might happen,” she said. “Warn-CentralTexas.org is what we want everyone to know about and sign up.”

She noted that the Warn-CentralTexas.org notifications are not the same as the National Weather Service alerts that automatically go to cell phones.

“You don’t have to live in the flood zone,” Hughson said. “Parents in Houston can sign up and use their son’s or daughter’s address.”

Hughson said users can also sign up with multiple addresses, and have options of receiving texts, emails or phone calls or a combination of those.

“We want to make sure as many people sign up as possible,” Hughson said, adding that residents can sign up for it through the city website.