La Jornada: Via cell phone, there will be a hurricane and flood alert

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) updated the regulation of the cellular alert system to incorporate, starting in the last quarter of the year, a maximum alert for natural phenomena other than earthquakes, the organization reported yesterday in a statement.

He explained that the alert will have a different sound than the seismic alert, as well as Civil Protection Notices that will use the sound configured on the device for SMS messages.

“Currently, the maximum alert for earthquakes operates, which will maintain its operation and characteristic sound unchanged. With the modification to the regulation, a maximum alert will be incorporated for other natural phenomena, such as hurricanes, floods, fires, volcanic activity and landslides, among others,” the commission stated.

He explained that Civil Protection notices are incorporated that will inform in advance about adverse weather conditions and environmental contingencies, such as severe rains, extreme cold fronts, heat waves or poor air quality.

“This modality will allow the authorities to issue messages hours or days in advance of possible risks, for the purposes of prevention, evacuation and protection, as well as after the emergency to follow up on indications,” reported the CRT.

Receiving these alerts will not depend on people having a balance on their telephone lines nor will it require an Internet connection.

For public safety reasons, messages cannot be deactivated and notifications will appear immediately in a pop-up window (pop-up) on the cell phone screen.

Its technological implementation will be carried out before the end of 2026, once cell phone providers have made the required technical adaptations to their systems.