How much does it cost?
Various versions are available to the media. Contact us for specifics. WeatherThreat is generally free to schools, businesses, non-profits, and other organizations who want to post their alerts to participating media.
I am a media organization that wants to use WeatherThreat.com or wants to get it started in my area. Do I have to be in your current coverage area to participate?
No. WeatherThreat.com can be implemented anwhere in the U.S.
What if schools don’t participate?
It is helpful to understand the history of "anyone sharing with everyone." The network was originally used exclusively by the media as a means to share school closings with each other without necessarily involving the schools. Schools and organizations soon learned that they only needed to call one member on the network to have their alerts shared by all participating media. This worked great for everyone.
To make things even more convenient, we eventually gave each school its own account so that it could enter its own alerts without even bothering the media. Some schools still choose to call the stations and some don’t, but whatever route the school chooses, the number of phone calls and closing entries is cut substantially because the alerts are shared with everyone once they are entered by anyone.
Are accounts and alerts limited to schools?
No. Accounts are also granted to municipalities, churches, non-profits, businesses, and other organizations who also want to input their own alerts.
What types of "alerts" and other notifications are used on the network?
Various types of notifications are syndicated, including school closings, public alerts, late starts, cancellations, notices, early closings, rescheduled events, emergency notifications, and more.
Won’t I be driving my viewers/listeners/readers away from my organization for school closing information?
No. The reverse effect happens. While we do provide a mobile phone app for general use, WeatherThreat.com does not display alerts directly on its site. Visitors must get their local closings and alerts by visiting the sites of media members or by listening to them or watching them while they are broadcast on air. Both the media and WeatherThreat.com report huge increases in overall traffic during inclement weather.
I am a TV station. Can I have the feed automatically routed on air?
Yes, that is an option. Contact us for specific details.
Do I have to show/broadcast alerts outside of my coverage area?
No. Only alerts relevant to counties and states you assign to your coverage area will show up in your alerts list.
I am a school/business/other organization. How do I report a closing or alert?
If you are not currently setup with your own WeatherThreat.com account, call one (and only one) media member that includes your county in its coverage area. Media members are required to enter school closings into the network when requested by the school. Most will also enter important alerts for businesses and other organizations.
If you have already been granted a WeatherThreat.com account, then login to your account and report the closing through the simple, step-by-step interface.
If not, request an account today.
Can I just call or email WeatherThreat.com directly to report my closing?
No. Your alert will not be entered if you send it directly to WeatherThreat.com. You must call one of the media members or apply for an account and enter the alert yourself.
How do I get an account so I can enter my closings into the network myself?
Do I have to notify each media organization of my closing; do I have to enter each closing on my own?
No. Only contact one media organization on the list that has your organization’s county in its coverage area. After the alert is entered once (by anyone), it is automatically shared across the entire network.
After I enter my own closing, how long will it take to show up?
It will generally take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes for your closings and alerts to be picked up by all the media who cover your county.
Why do only certain media sites list my alerts?
Every media member selects its own counties and states to be included in its coverage area. If the media member does not have your county listed in its coverage area, it will not display your alert. Coverage areas are used to organize and limit alerts to those that are most appropriate to the media organization’s patrons.
Why isn’t Station X in my area on the WeatherThreat.com network?
Call them and urge them to join by contacting us. Joining the network should save both you and them time and money.