GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A recent investigation by WPTV's investigative team has exposed what appears to be significant weaknesses in Florida's emergency alert system, particularly evident during the catastrophic tornado outbreak on Oct. 9.
Several residents reported not receiving emergency alerts when they needed them the most, including Amanda Norton, who could see an EF-3 tornado from her backyard but said she never received an alert.
Executive Director Randy Wright explains to WPTV the future of emergency alerts
"You trusted your phone," said WPTV's Investigative Reporter, Kate Hussey.
"Yeah, I’ve received them in the past,” replied Norton.
Hussey's months-long investigation uncovered three potential reasons for the failures. The first reason was that competing warnings issued at the same time may have overwhelmed the system.
"The system may not be able to handle that many issued simultaneously," said Craig Fugate, a former FEMA director.
The second issue noted was that some residents, including Norton, were outside the polygon area designated by the National Weather Service for the Wellington tornado warning, which could have led to them missing alerts despite being in the tornado's direct path.
“The cell towers are broadcasting the signal based upon the polygon," Fugate also explained.
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The third issue arose in Stuart, where a tornado warning was issued four minutes after the tornado touched down, leaving residents like Diana Dotson unaware of the imminent danger.
“I didn't hear no warnings, signs or nothing," Dotson stated.
Amid these critical failures, researchers at the University of Florida may have developed a groundbreaking solution: the Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network (BEACON).
Executive Director Randy Wright explained that this new project, a collaboration with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and a company called Futuri, uses artificial intelligence to deliver emergency alerts directly to people's phones or radios during a crisis.
“This is the best of what’s old with what’s new,” said Wright.
WATCH: Timeline of emergency alerts in Stuart on Oct. 9
We traveled to Gainesville to see the BEACON system in action ourselves.
Wright showed us a system cataloging emergency alerts from local agencies, including heat-related illnesses and hazardous chemical incidents.
“Those announcements come directly into the BEACON system, where the text, as presented by the county, isn't filtered,” Wright said.
In less than a minute, that information is converted to speech by AI and broadcast over both radio and a mobile app, ensuring redundancy.
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“It allows for government agencies at every single level, from hyper-local all the way to the federal government. It gives them access to the public instantaneously,” Wright stated.
You may be wondering how this is different from any other emergency alert method.
Currently, when an emergency alert is issued, it's coming from one agency, whether that's the National Weather Service or your local county, and you may not be subscribed to emergency alerts from both.
BEACON brings it all under one channel, repeats the messages so you don't miss a warning, and broadcasts over two mediums in case one fails.
WATCH: Dozens in western Wellington fell outside the NWS 'polygon of warning'
"It would provide, essentially, 24 hour days, seven days a week, a broadcast feed, if there was an emergency," said Fugate.
Fugate and Wright noted that BEACON could have made a significant difference during Hurricane Milton, when alerts arrived too late. BEACON would have allowed local agencies to communicate directly with the public in real-time, without having to wait for the National Weather Service's warning.
“In that scenario, if the city of Stuart issues a unique advisory, then the audience will hear that,” Wright added. "They'll hear it. They'll see it through the BEACON app.”
In Wellington, where alerts were not received, Fugate emphasized that BEACON could provide ongoing reminders of the potential for tornadoes.
“It will be constantly refreshing and updating so you're not waiting for the warning,” Fugate stated.
As of now, BEACON has already launched in the Gainesville market, and efforts are underway to expand its reach across Florida ahead of hurricane season.
"By hurricane season we're working to have as many sites up as possible," said Wright.
Congresswoman Kathy Castor brought up the potential of BEACON in a House Energy and Commerce hearing, emphasizing its importance during crises when other communication methods may fail.
"Cell phones go down, you lost the internet, this is the kind of critical infrastructure that congress should be encouraging," said Castor.
For those concerned with emergency preparedness, improved systems like BEACON may soon be the future of emergency alerts not only in Florida but across the nation.
As Wright indicates, he is already receiving inquiries from emergency management officials in other hurricane-prone states, including Louisiana and Texas.
For updates on this vital topic, stay tuned to WPTV for further developments.
