The Minnesota Department of Transportation has made an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin using Wireless Emergency Alerts through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System, FEMA’s national system for local alerting that share emergency information to the public.
Wireless Emergency Alerts use the same system that share critical notifications like AMBER Alerts with the public, as well as other time sensitive information during natural disasters or threats to public safety. Wireless Emergency Alerts provide the ability to send alerts directly to mobile devices without the user needing to download an app or subscribe to a service.
MnDOT’s operating procedures include sending emergency alerts only when highway closures of more than 4 hours are expected due to weather, such as snow, ice or flooding, or major crashes or incidents. MnDOT alerts will only be sent for closures on state highways and interstates under the agency’s jurisdiction and will be sent to all mobile phones within a one mile band around the highway.