Dozens of Palm Beach County residents called into NBC affiliate WPTV and expressed their concern on social media about not receiving emergency alerts to their cellphones ahead of tornadoes that ripped through the area ahead of Hurricane Milton.
According to an investigative report by WPTV’s Dave Brohman, Helen Kincaid, who lives in The Acreage community of western Palm Beach County, was putting up the last shutter of her home when a twister touched down about 2 miles away.
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Kincaid did not receive a severe weather alert, despite having them enabled on her phone, which was in her back pocket.
Wellington Town Manager Jim Barnes wanted to know why, after several residents also complained on social media.
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"We've posed that question to the National Weather Service to try and make a determination as to what can we do to make sure these alerts are heard," Barnes said.
WPTV said a National Weather Service spokesperson told them the agency did its job and issued warnings before the tornadoes.
Dr. Tal Lavian, a wireless communications systems expert based in California, gave a few reasons for why the alerts may not have gotten to everybody.
- Some cell phones may be too outdated
- If wireless phone towers lose power or get damaged, alerts may not make it
- In rural areas, cell tower capacity may be strained, especially by people video calling each other to spread the word
