How NBC Augusta WeatherCall Works 

NBC Augusta 26 News offer's a state-of-the art personal storm warning service to the Augusta-Aiken area, and it is FREE to our viewers! 

The National Weather Service now issues Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, and Flash Flood Warnings for the path of the storm and not just for the entire county. This new method of issuing warnings means higher accuracy for more precise areas. Now, if you are in a warning area, there is a much higher likelihood the storm will affect you. WeatherCall DOES NOT alert you to impending inclement weather, unless a WARNING has been issued.

To make changes to your existing WeatherCall account, CLICK HERE.

The NBC Augusta WeatherCall system continuously monitors the National Weather Service’s NOAA weatherwire. Using GIS (mapping databases), the system compares a subscriber's specific location to the location of the warning area. When a severe weather warning includes your location, the system immediately notifies through telephone calls, SMS text messaging to your mobile phone, and emails.

Example of Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service on April 10, 2009. WeatherCall only calls subscribers who live inside the red polygon, unlike the traditional warning system in which everyone in Richmond and Columbia counties would have been alerted, even those outside the path of the storm. This newer alert method reduces false alarms. 

All tornado warnings are delivered by the system.  You can elect to receive severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings, and how they are delivered (phone call or e-mail or both). 

Because determining your correct location is so important with NBC Augusta WeatherCall, the system will assign a latitude and longitude value to your location, and display your location on a Google map for your review before your registration is complete. 

As soon as you approve the Google map, your registration is complete.  Your storm warning service begins immediately, unlike other services which can take up to 10 days to become activated.

For each location, subscribers may register 3 telephone numbers and 3 e-mail addresses.

When a severe weather warning is issued for the registered location the system will call all the telephone numbers simultaneously with Jeff Rucker’s warning message. The system will also send a message to all registered email addresses with a graphical depiction of the warning area displayed on a localized, interactive Google map. You can zoom in and out on the map and actually SEE where you are in comparison to the warning area. Example below:
 

Tornado Warning map for the Augusta area on March 15, 2008

The NBC Augusta WeatherCall service is available in the following counties:

• Georgia:  Wilkes, Taliaferro, Lincoln, Warren, McDuffie, Columbia, Richmond, Glascock, Jefferson, Burke, Jenkins, Emanuel, Hancock, Washington, Johnson, and Elbert
• South Carolina:  McCormick, Saluda, Edgefield, Aiken, Barnwell, Bamberg, Allendale, Orangeburg, Lexington, and Greenwood.

Keep your family or business safe, and register for this important service brought to you by NBC Augusta 26 News.

• To sign up, CLICK HERE.
• To make changes to your existing WeatherCall account, CLICK HERE.