Will Your Phone Go Off? Marin County Plans Emergency Alert Test

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County will test its AlertMarin emergency notification system later this month, sending messages to registered users by phone, text and email.

The countywide test is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 26 and is intended to make sure the system is ready to deliver emergency information when needed.

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Messages will be sent in English or Spanish based on users' settings. The county is encouraging residents who are already registered to check their contact information and addresses.

Fewer than half of Marin households, about 46,000 homes, have at least one person registered with AlertMarin, according to the county. Officials are hoping to have at least one registered person in every Marin household.

"With changing weather patterns and the anticipated impacts associated with El Niño, staying informed and prepared is more important than ever," said Steven Torrence, Marin Office of Emergency Management director.

The county has also created optional alert groups for hazards that may not pose an immediate threat to life but could have significant impacts. Those include coastal flooding and king tides, prescribed burns, creek and river flooding, major traffic disruptions and significant weather alerts.

Those notifications supplement, rather than replace, AlertMarin emergency alerts, the county said.

Residents can sign up for AlertMarin through the county's emergency notification system and should make sure their information is up to date.