How well can people in Rhineland-Palatinate be warned about flood disasters? This is to be checked today on the nationwide warning day with a test alarm.
After the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley, the warning day in Rhineland-Palatinate will probably be followed particularly closely. The test warning will take place on December 8 at 11 a.m. Various warning systems are used, a so-called warning mix is tested.
The warning message is broadcast via radio and television, but sirens and loudspeaker trucks are also used. In addition, warning messages are sent to mobile phones via warning apps such as Nina and Katwarn. The cell broadcasting process is also being tested for mobile communications for the first time.
The information on the nationwide warning day is also available in Ukrainian. The aim is to prevent traumatized war refugees from Ukraine from being frightened.
The new Cell Broadcast warning system will be tested nationwide on December 8th. All smartphone owners should receive a short text message from civil protection.
With cell broadcasting, mobile phone users receive a warning message on their smartphone. An app does not have to be installed for this. Basically, the notification goes to every smartphone that has reception at the time. No other warning device can reach more people. However, the technology often does not work with older devices.
According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), many smartphones will be able to receive these warnings directly without users having to adjust the settings. However, it generally makes sense to activate “test warnings” in the mobile phone menu and to install the latest updates.
According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior, the warning day is about testing the various warning devices and raising awareness among the population.
“The overall goal of such actions must be that every citizen is reached via at least one warning device and is thus warned.”
Three quarters of an hour after the warnings were spread, the all-clear should be given – i.e. at 11.45 a.m.
People in Germany would also have to deal more with disaster scenarios, said Ebling. This was shown by increasing extreme weather events such as the flood in the Ahr Valley and forest fires, but also the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “A comprehensive network of warning devices and sirens, which can be used both by the federal government in the event of civil defense and by the municipalities in the event of a disaster, is therefore essential,” said the minister, who is visiting the Ahr Valley on the warning day.
Nationwide warning day: sirens and loudspeaker announcementsn in 30 municipalities in RLP
As the Ministry of the Interior announced, around 30 Rhineland-Palatinate municipalities have registered for the warning day. They therefore want to participate with siren warnings or loudspeaker announcements. A ministry spokesman said it could well be that communities that have not registered will also take part.
Many people in the Ahr valley could not be warned in time about the flood disaster. Now there is a new warning system with electronic sirens. It was tested on Saturday.
On the occasion of the warning day, 85 new sirens are officially put into operation in the Ahr Valley. The new electronic sirens were installed in the communities on the Ahr affected by the flood disaster. They are the only sirens that will be heard in the Ahrweiler district on the warning day, according to the district administration. In the places not affected by the flood, the sirens remain silent.
Otherwise, warning devices such as smartphone apps and cell broadcasts are also being tested in the Ahr Valley. During the flood disaster in July 2021, among other things, the mobile and telephone networks failed, so that many people did not receive any warnings.
The flood disaster in the Ahr valley and in the Eifel once again made it clear that sirens can save lives. But there are different alarm signals. This is what they sound like and what they mean:
There is something new in the Westerwald district speaker system tested
In the Westerwald district, new mobile high-performance loudspeakers are being tested on the warning day. In addition to announcements, the systems can also be used to play the siren signal to warn the population. The fire brigade of the municipality of Asbach in the district of Neuwied will also test their new “Mobela” warning system. She wants to drive through the town with several vehicles.
It is also about testing how understandable the announcements are, it said. The fire brigade also wants to test how large the area is that it can cover in the specified 45 minutes to warn residents.
In order to determine whether the warning messages reach people, the people of Rhineland-Palatinate are also asked to give feedback on the warning day. In particular, whether they received alerts via the new Cell broadcast. Citizens can share their experiences on the nationwide warning day and also on the following days Online on the BBK website pass on.
Warning day balance expected on Thursday
The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior plans to provide information on Thursday how the warning day went in the country. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Control is responsible for this nationwide.
The last warning day, a good two years ago, went largely wrong. The danger reports via the warning apps Nina and Katwarn arrived on the cell phones about half an hour too late. In the future there will be a warning day every year.
The new Cell Broadcast warning system will be tested nationwide on December 8th. All smartphone owners should receive a short text message from civil protection.