https://www.reddit.com/r/kzoo/comments/1j76r0b/tornado_app/
created by mereruka on 09/03/2025 at 12:37 UTC*
28 upvotes, 29 top-level comments (showing 25)
I live in portage. Last year, during the tornado, we couldn’t hear the tornado siren from inside of our house and didn’t take shelter. What apps are people using for tornado warnings and watches?
Edit: We don’t have (269) numbers. That seems to be why we didn’t get the auto alerts. Thank you for the app suggestions.
Comment by bcgg at 09/03/2025 at 13:31 UTC
18 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Just fyi, tornado sirens are primarily meant for people who are outside. Channel 3 has a weather app that sends weather alerts.
Comment by Plant_Vacation_ at 09/03/2025 at 12:48 UTC
31 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I use Radar Omega and AccuWeather. Ryan Hall on YouTube does a great job covering storms. He covered the Portage tornado last year and he called it before the sirens went off!
He is Ryan Hall, Y’all on YouTube.
Comment by mrgoalie at 09/03/2025 at 15:02 UTC
14 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Weather alerts/public safety alerts are sent to any phone that is connected to a tower within the warned area. Area code does not matter. You can turn off alerts on your phone, so look there first.
Portage has a texting alert service that can be signed up for on the city's website.
Comment by katm82 at 09/03/2025 at 13:14 UTC
22 upvotes, 1 direct replies
My iPhone was going off like crazy for the warning. I had alerts from the Weather Channel app, but my phone itself was alerting me too. Like the way it does for Amber Alerts. Of course with all the staffing cuts at NOAA, who knows how accurate any of it will be this year…
Comment by skepticDave at 09/03/2025 at 13:26 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Make sure you have Wireless Emergency Alerts turned on in the settings on your phone. No extra so needed.
Comment by MCpoopcicle at 09/03/2025 at 19:12 UTC
7 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I would suggest picking up a NOAA weather radio. They're pretty cheap and they'll definitely let you know. Even on the lowest setting they're loud!
Comment by Actual-Mushroom-3525 at 09/03/2025 at 12:52 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Comment by Natewoodford at 09/03/2025 at 14:32 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
WWMT weather app
Comment by Courtybiologique at 09/03/2025 at 15:39 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I use the Red Cross emergency app. It goes off super loud on your phone in the event of emergency. You can set it up for whatever zip codes you want.
Comment by FateEx1994 at 09/03/2025 at 15:41 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Even if you don't have a 269, the local tower should ping everybody online within the radius...
I have a 586 form the east side and got all the tornado alerts.
My Verizon bill even has me paying the kzoo 911 fee
Comment by talltree818 at 09/03/2025 at 20:51 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Don't worry. We won't be able to predict tornadoes in time soon anyway, so we'll all be in the same boat.
Comment by sunsipnip at 09/03/2025 at 14:19 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I don’t have a 269 number either and didn’t get phone alerts until a couple min after the tornado already hit my place, but unfortunately or fortunately it was the 3rd tornado I have been through so I knew by just how it looked outside that it was likely to happen. I also could hear the sirens well in my area.
Comment by NuwandaBucket at 09/03/2025 at 14:42 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Max velocity on YouTube was able to give almost exact location coverage on it while it was happening. He's pretty on top of violent storms and things like that when they're happening
Comment by Inevitable_Carry4493 at 09/03/2025 at 16:04 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I've found the MI Storm Chasers to have pretty solid information for us. They do livestreams on FB and Youtube when there's severe weather, and have both in-house meteorologists and boots on the ground. It's not an app, but if something else gives you the idea there's bad weather, it can be a quick way to verify if there are likely to be tornado conditions or not.
https://www.facebook.com/MIStormChasers[1][2]
1: https://www.facebook.com/MIStormChasers
2: https://www.facebook.com/MIStormChasers
https://www.youtube.com/@MIStormChasers[3][4]
3: https://www.youtube.com/@MIStormChasers
4: https://www.youtube.com/@MIStormChasers
Comment by piecefuldeath at 09/03/2025 at 14:46 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I also do not have a 269 number and was not getting alerts. I was following the live stream for Michigan Storm Chasers. I thought was great because not only were they tracking it through radar and on the ground, they were giving actual street names and areas. I follow them now for all of my weather related news.
Comment by FFT990 at 09/03/2025 at 17:00 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Buy a good NOAA weather radio for your home. Don't rely on your phone as many factors could contribute to delays getting notifications
Comment by Sage-Advisor2 at 09/03/2025 at 18:21 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If a siren is needed, how to apply for funds.
https://hqesystems.com/how-to-fund-your-sirens-project/[1][2]
1: https://hqesystems.com/how-to-fund-your-sirens-project/
2: https://hqesystems.com/how-to-fund-your-sirens-project/
Comment by tinfoil3346 at 09/03/2025 at 13:37 UTC
3 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I'm really hoping that we don't get one again this year. The one last year was just down the road from me.
Comment by PageNext5773 at 09/03/2025 at 16:40 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This app does not produce an audible alert that I know of, but I have found it the best for pinpointing the actual real-time location of a tornado.
https://radarscope.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
Comment by xjsthund at 09/03/2025 at 16:40 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Local news each have weather apps, seem reliable for alerts to your phone.
Comment by Sage-Advisor2 at 09/03/2025 at 18:07 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Where are you located, nearest large intersection, and estimated distance.
Do you hear local monthly or quarterly physical siren testing midday??
This is important, OP.
Local emergency manager may need to request test of nearest pole mounted siren, if it is near enough for you to hear at work or home. If too far away to hear, another backup emergency warning method needed.
My recommendation is windup emergency radio. BestBuy, Walmart, Amazon, maybe bigbox hardware stores too.
Comment by haarschmuck at 09/03/2025 at 21:17 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If you don't mind paying a little you can get what I use, GRLevel3. Lot of storm chasers use it as it gets NEXRADIII data.
Comment by Longjumping_Suit_256 at 10/03/2025 at 02:46 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If you’re truly into weather and are a weather nerd, I suggest radar scope. It’s $10, but well worth it in my opinion. It’ll give you tornado warnings And watches. Not sure about push notifications, but if you know bad weather is coming you can just pull it up and check out what’s going on around you.
Comment by PrateTrain at 10/03/2025 at 05:05 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I use the Storm Prediction Center reports a guess if I'll need to keep my eyes open for the door. They give a forecast every day and update it every 6 hours for the entire country.
Comment by BilbowTeaBaggins at 10/03/2025 at 08:03 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I actually slept through the whole thing lol. I was living on-campus at WMU and slept through 2 tornado alarms and people shouting, didn’t even realized what happened until I found out from someone else. I’m also curious about different radar apps people have here.