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NOW, AN IMPORTANT PART FOR PREPARING FOR THIS WEEKEND’S STORM IS HAVING A PLACE THAT YOU RECEIVE WEATHER ALERTS IN TIME. �������� 13 JON PAEPCKE JOINS US NOW LIVE BY ONE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY’S SIRENS THERE IN HOMEWOOD. AND JOHN, JUST HOW MANY ARE COVERING THAT COUNTY? WELL, LISA, THERE ARE 250 TORNADO SIRENS LIKE THIS ONE HERE ON WEST VALLEY AVENUE IN HOMEWOOD, SCATTERED ALL OVER JEFFERSON COUNTY. BUT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THERE ARE MUCH MORE RELIABLE FORMS OF ALERT TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHEN A STORM IS HEADED YOUR WAY. NOW, EARLIER TODAY, WE DID STOP BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE THAT IS DOWN IN CALERA. METEOROLOGIST CHRIS DURDEN ACTUALLY SHOWED US HOW MUCH EASIER IT IS NOW TO PROGRAM WEATHER RADIOS, WHICH WILL ALERT YOU IN REAL TIME WHEN A POTENTIAL TORNADO COULD BE HEADED TO YOUR COMMUNITY. NOW, THERE ARE ALSO COUNTLESS EMERGENCY APPS THROUGH COUNTY, EMA AND THE STATE OF ALABAMA, WHICH WILL ALERT YOU WHEN STORMS ARE GETTING CLOSE TO YOU AS WELL. DARDEN SAYS MORE GOVERNMENTS ARE MOVING AWAY FROM SIRENS BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPENSIVE TO FIX, AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE SMARTPHONES WITH BUILT IN ALARM NOTIFICATIONS. SO YOU JUST NEED TO CHECK ON YOUR SETTINGS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THOSE TURNED ON. IF YOU GET A NEW PHONE, THEY’RE DESIGNED TO BE TURNED ON, SO YOU’D HAVE TO YOU’D HAVE TO PHYSICALLY GO IN AND TURN THOSE OFF. NOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAIN ALERT SYSTEM ON YOUR SMARTPHONE IS TURNED ON IS VERY EASY, JUST GO TO THE NOTIFICATION PAGE UNDER YOUR SETTINGS, SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY BOTTOM, PAST ALL THESE APPS TO MAKE SURE YOUR EMERGENCY TOGGLES ARE ALL TURNED TO GREEN.