CodeRed Adds Weather Warning

The City of Meridian’s CodeRed warning system, already in place for warnings in emergency situations, has added an additional feature for Meridian residents who wish to participate—a weather warning alert.

Residents and businesses who want to sign up for the weather warning program must fill out another CodeRed form, even if they already filled out the form to sign up for the CodeRed emergency system. The emergency warning system calls the phone numbers of subscribers in the event of such emergencies as evacuation notices, missing child or adult reports, hazardous spills and other critical problems. The new weather warning will call subscribers in the event or tornado, flash flood and severe weather warnings.

The National Weather Service triggers the weather warning alerts, and targets those members inside the area where severe weather is predicted. The advantage to this additional service is that subscribers will be notified of weather issues in addition to other community emergencies. The disadvantage is that the calls will likely occur more frequently, and could occur in the middle of the night, for example.

Anyone already on the CodeRed emergency system who does not wish to add the weather warning system need take no action. They will remain in the original CodeRed alert system. Those wishing to add the weather warning feature must fill out an additional form, which is available on the City of Meridian web site at www.meridianms.org. Click on CodeRed on the home page, and you will access the form. Fill out the simple form, including up to two phone numbers. The box indicating your wish to be added to the system has already been check marked for your convenience. Continue to the second page of the form to complete the process.

For anyone without access to the internet, forms may be picked up at Temporary City Hall, 2412 7^th Street; the Meridian Activity Center, 3300 32^nd Avenue; and the Central Fire Station, 2500 14^th Street. Completed forms may be returned to the facility from which they were picked up, faxed to 601-484-6895 or mailed to the Department of Homeland Security at 1180 Sandflat Road, Meridian, MS 39301.

For more information, contact Homeland Security Director Bunky Partridge at 601-484-6890.