Politics & Government
Why Did My Cell Phone Ring Overnight?
New Fairfax County system used for wireless emergency alerts.
By Karen Goff
Why did my cell phone buzz in the middle of the night with a flash flood warning alert?
That is the question many Fairfax County residents have been asking Friday morning, as thousands of them received emergency alerts overnight.
It is a new system from Fairfax County. The overnight messages were sent from the National Weather Service alerting residents to flash flooding warnings based on their location.
More than 3.5 inches of rain fell at Dulles International Airport in a three-hour span late Thursday and into Friday.
The county is encouraging wireless users to keep getting alerts so they can be informed in a case of a big emergency such as a tornado. They say the alerts are not intended to be used frequently.
However, there is a way to disable some of the alerts, including Amber alerts. To find out how, click here.
What do you think of the new emergency alerts? Tell us in the comments.
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