ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For nearly a decade, Tampa Bay residents have had access to a free notification system that addresses the full spectrum of emergencies from hurricanes, major fires, boil water notices, gas leaks and more.

What You Need To Know

  • With only 85,000 ALERT Pinellas subscribers, less than 10% of the Pinellas County population, county leaders are urging residents to sign up

  • Pinellas County Emergency Management emphasized the real power is in a subscriber’s ability to personalize the alerts based on five different addresses

  • You can register online or call 727-464-3800

But with only 85,000 ALERT Pinellas subscribers, less than 10% of the Pinellas County population, county leaders are urging residents to sign up. 

ALERT Pinellas is crucial to protecting families through real-time information that is customized to a resident’s personal situation and location, according to Pinellas County Emergency Management.

“Our goal is to have as many Pinellas County residents subscribe to ALERT Pinellas, so that they can receive timely information based on their location and utilizing their preferred method of receiving the notification,” said Planning and Preparedness Manager Stephanie Hendrix who oversees the system for Pinellas County Emergency Management. “We can send notifications to them via their phone, email or text, so our goal is to have as many people signed up for this to receive that important information.”

Daniel and Tiffany Johnson became new subscribers this month due to the record rainfall and recent flooding near their Snell Isle community in Northeast St. Petersburg. They received their first alert, warning them about heavy rainfall and potential flooding within 48-hours of registering.

“I was able to stay ahead of the storm and get on the island before the incident actually happened,” said Daniel Johnson. “I like the app because it gives me all the updates in the areas that are important to our family, especially since I work in Largo and my daughter goes to school in St. Petersburg.”

Pinellas County Emergency Management emphasized the real power is in a subscriber’s ability to personalize the alerts based on five different addresses.

“I was able to enter five different locations, so I could put my house, my work, my husband’s work, and I could put where my daughter goes to school and where my parents live,” said Stephanie Johnson. “So, with that, I can keep an eye on my whole family,” Johnson continued.

“We can send out notifications geographically to the entire county, or we can select geographic areas to get specific messaging out to them,” Hendrix said. “So, in the case of the storm in December 2023, we were able to send geo-targeted messaging to those in flood-prone areas to give them those protective measures and what they can expect at their home so that they’re able to protect themselves and their property,” she continued.

Pinellas County sends out alerts in both English and Spanish. You can register online or call 727-464-3800.

This free emergency alert notification service is available to all residents in Spectrum Bay News 9’s viewing area. Log on to your county’s website for registration information:

Hillsborough: HCFL Alert

Polk: AlertPolk

Hernando: Alert Hernando

Citrus: Alert Citrus

Manatee: Alert Manatee

Pasco: Alert Pasco

Pinellas: Alert Pinellas