[EAS] NWS Alerts and messaging

[Sean Donelan]

I looked through all the NWS/NOAA text product codes for one which could 
be used for EAS activations for significant weather warnings.

IMHO, all of the current codes would be incompatible with a "Breaking 
News" slug to break into broadcast programming. The existing warnings get 
generated semi-automatically, without adequate controls for interrupting 
broadcast programming.

Even things like TOR for tornados, the NWS sent over 157 tornado warnings 
in 2017 in Houston during Hurricane Harvey and NO ONE COULD GET NWS TO 
STOP SENDING TORNADO WARNINGS IN THE MIDDLE OF A HURRICANE!  The public 
started turning off their cell phones because the frequent WEA warnings 
were using up their phone battery life. NWS also issued 134 Flash Flood 
Warningss during Hurricane Harvey. When the levee/dam was breached in 
western Harris County, the public was no longer listening.

https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/harvey6-18.pdf

If there was a dedicated EAS activation code, which a NWS warning 
meteorolgist had editorial discretion to ONLY use as a very rare
"Breaking News" bulletin ONCE for an entire DMA/EAS local area... that 
could be the start of a discussion with local GM's and PD's of non-news 
stations.

But any EAS code generated by NWS semi-automatically, IMHO most GMs and 
PDs would consider too much risk of abuse based on past history.

If NOAA/NWS could create the administrative rules limiting how it would be 
used, the technology is "easy."

SVS - Severe Weather Statement (already used for other stuff)

RET - Request EAS Activation (not in FCC list, but is in NWS list)

WEM - Weather Emergency Message (a possible new code, parallel to the 
existing CEM - Civil Emergency Message)