At a Wednesday morning press conference, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha declined to answer a question about delayed emergency alerts, saying that an "after-action" would follow the search and rescue efforts. "Those questions are gonna be answered," he added.

The Avro Lancaster PA474, which had been taking part in the RAF Waddington Families Day in Lincolnshire, sent a general emergency alert as black smoke was seen coming from one of its four engines.

A Flash Flood Emergency and numerous Flash Flood Warnings were issued in Central Texas on Sunday morning after torrential rain led to the rapid rise of the Lampasas River.

Go to Settings > Safety & Emergency > Wireless Emergency Alerts (location may vary slightly depending on your phone model). Turn on Allow Alerts, and make sure both Extreme Threats and Severe Threats are enabled. These alerts use a distinct, loud tone and vibration pattern to get your attention -- even in the middle of the night.

The national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones in the UK will be tested again this September, the government has said. It will see compatible phones vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds while displaying a message at 15:00 BST on 7 September, even if they are set to silent.

As devastating floodwaters swept through the Hill Country in the early hours of July 4, a volunteer firefighter requested a mass emergency alert to warn residents.

The flooding in Texas this week, wildfires in Canada and record-breaking heat in New England are reminders that the supercharged climate means disaster can strike anywhere at any time. It also means that interest in weather alerts and emergency preparation,

On Wednesday afternoon (July 9) just before 4 p.m., many people in the Shreveport-Bossier area received a pair of emergency alerts on their phones similar to the ones sent out for an Amber Alert or a Tornado Warning.

But despite continued technological advances, the country’s patchwork of digital and physical emergency-alert tools is often a step behind Mother Nature, with deadly consequences.

Samsung Galaxy users will head to Setting, then Safety and Emergency to get to the right place. From there, tap Wireless Emergency Alerts and toggle on "Allow" to ensure you're getting the most up-to-date information as quickly as possible.