This is what a Severe Weather alert looks like.
“Watches and Warnings” — If the National Weather Service issues a Watch or Warning for the following types of weather conditions, we’ll send you an alert:
- Tornado
- Severe Thunderstorm
- Areal Flood*
- Flash Flood
- Flood
- Hurricane
- Tropical Storm
(*) This is not a typo. Areal Flood is for flooding that develops more gradually, usually from prolonged and persistent moderate to heavy rainfall, according to the NWS.
Watch vs. Warning: What they really mean
Watch = Be prepared! Severe weather nearby
Warning = Take action! Severe weather is imminent
Location Information — For all of these location-based weather alerts, we’ll use your location even when the WBAL-TV 11 app isn’t open to monitor for severe weather. Users must grant “always” permissions so that the app can use your location even when not open, so we can send you alerts when your location changes but the app isn’t open. There is a chance that your location change doesn’t trigger a push notification for an alert your new area. This could be related to timing, connectivity, or availability of location services.
Will this drain my battery? — You shouldn’t notice a significant change in battery usage. Other device settings, the environment and app usage can potentially impact your device battery.
What if my device is off? — There may be cases where we can’t deliver you a push alert even when severe weather hits. If your device is off, or has no connectivity, you will not receive the alert until your device is back on and is connected to the network.
