Frequently asked questions about ABC 33/40 E-Warn:

Can I sign up for any pager or cellular phone? No. You must have an alpha-numeric pager, cellular phone, or other wireless device capable of displaying text messages. Most of the newer pagers and phones will work fine, but remember, you must enter the e-mail address of the device (not a regular cell or pager number)!

Why can't I sign up for counties in the Tennessee Valley, or around Mobile? ABC 33/40 E-Warn is provided as a service for our viewers, so service is offered in counties in Alabama and Mississippi where our signal is available. You can sign up for specific counties in the Tennessee Valley with WHNT in Huntsville via their web site. While no stations offer E-Warn in Montgomery or Mobile at this time, you can sign up for the statewide option (all 67 counties) through ABC 33/40.

I am getting multiple warnings. Why? If you sign up for multiple counties, then you might get multiple messages when a warning is issued for two counties or more. Sign up for only one county, and you will always only get one warning.

What types of messages are sent via E-Warn? Watches and warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash floods, and winter storms. In addition, river flood warnings are sent as needed. You can also sign up for tropical storm and hurricane advisories here.

Where does the E-Warn information come from? The National Weather Service. They issue the watches and warnings. At times, we might send a special update written by meteorologists in the ABC 33/40 weather center during a major weather event.

I signed up, but did not get a confirmation and I do not get E-Warn messages. What happened? Each day, our log shows many error messages from people that input wrong e-mail addresses. Be extremely careful when you enter an address. And, do not enter your cell phone number. It won't work. You must enter the e-mail address for your pager or phone. For help, see our page here with information on common vendors.

I would like to speak with a human being with questions about E-Warn. Is this possible? Yes! Call The Weather Company at 1-800-272-2511, or send an e-mail message to Bill Hardekopf at The Weather Company.