Do I need an app to get tornado warnings on my phone?

No. Tornado warnings are sent as Wireless Emergency Alerts to compatible phones in the warned area with no app required, as long as emergency alerts are turned on.

A six-digit code used by NOAA Weather Radio to identify a county. It is 0 followed by the five-digit county FIPS code.

How to get weather alerts on your phone

Most phones in the United States can receive the most dangerous National Weather Service warnings automatically through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). They are free, need no app, and reach phones in the warned area even when networks are busy.

Which weather warnings trigger phone alerts

Wireless Emergency Alerts are reserved for short-fused, life-threatening hazards, such as tornado warnings, flash flood warnings with a higher damage threat, severe thunderstorm warnings tagged destructive, snow squall warnings and certain tropical and coastal warnings. Watches and advisories are not sent as WEA messages.

iPhone

Open Settings, then Notifications, scroll to the bottom, and turn on Emergency Alerts under Government Alerts. You can also choose whether alerts always play a sound.

Android

Settings menus vary by manufacturer. Look for "Wireless emergency alerts" under Safety and emergency, Notifications, or Advanced settings, and make sure extreme and severe threats are on.

NOAA Weather Radio

A NOAA Weather Radio with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology sounds an alarm for warnings in counties you choose, even if the power and cell network are down. Each county has a six-digit SAME code: a 0 followed by the county's five-digit FIPS code. Every county page on this site lists its SAME code.

Check this site for every active alert

Phone alerts only cover the most urgent warnings. To see every watch, warning and advisory for your area, use the live alerts map or open your county page with the location button.