What Those Loud Cell Phone Alerts in Texas Really Mean

(Mix 93-1) I'm pretty sure it's happened to you at some point. You're in a restaurant enjoying your meal, and nearly every cell phone around you begins alerting you to some kind of danger. Those very distinct tones you hear grab your attention, along with everyone else around you.

Those tones could alert you to changing weather conditions, issuance of an Amber Alert by law enforcement, or something else more dangerous or sinister.

Why Emergency Alerts Are So Loud

Thanks to today's technology, we are more aware of what's happening not only in our city, but our region, state, and nation, because cell phones across Texas are receiving emergency alerts nearly daily.

When something critical happens, meteorologists, law enforcement, or other governmental agencies have the ability to send us important information at once to our mobile devices.

While our phones constantly make chiming noises throughout the day because of the many other alerts we've subscribed to receive, there are a handful of alerts that use those Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones, much like the ones that go off while you're listening to the radio or watching TV and there is severe weather around.

The Main Types of Alerts in Texas

What are those specific alerts, and what do they mean? Thanks to a little research, here's the answer.

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Those tones are used for more than notifying us in the event of severe weather and trying to locate missing or abducted children.

Those alert tones notify us if someone has taken action against a law enforcement officer, an elderly person who has gone missing, or something that has to do with a person who has intellectual or developmental disorders.

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Your Role When Receiving an Alert

So, the next time your phone goes off and you hear those tones, read the alert and see if you need to take immediate action or if there's a way to help law enforcement find someone.