As of Wednesday, April 4, the federal government is implementing Civil Defense Alert, a new system for emergency disaster alerts. The tool, which has already been tested in the interior of São Paulo and other states, aims to send alerts to the population in the event of extreme risks, such as floods or landslides.
Warnings are sent via sound and vibration alerts to all cell phones in the affected region. The service is free, with no need to register in advance to receive it. Find out more below:
Civil Defense Alert: how does the new tool work?
The implementation of the new tool is being coordinated by the National Civil Defense, in conjunction with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). Through it, people in areas with imminent risk of tragedies (torrential downpours, windstorms, hailstorms, floods and landslides, for example) will receive the warning on their cell phones, along with evacuation information and safe points.
The service will be free and will arrive automatically on all devices with 4G and 5G technology, even those in silent mode. The alert locks the device momentarily, overriding any application in use, along with audible and vibrating warnings. Tourists and even foreigners on site will also receive the warning.
How do I receive all Civil Defense alerts?
The new Civil Defense Alert system will only be used in the event of extreme alerts. But for those who want to be even more attuned to changes in the weather, it is possible to sign up to receive local updates from the local Civil Defense.
To do this, simply send a message to 40119 with your ZIP code number. From there, you will receive SMS updates on rainfall, sudden changes in temperature, flooding and more. You can also join the agency’s WhatsApp channel. Unlike Civil Defense Alert, however, both services are restricted to people who sign up.
