What is the difference between a Watch, Advisory and a Warning?

• A Watch means that there is potential for the event to occur. No action needs to be taken when watches are issued, however community members should keep up to date in case the Watch becomes a Warning.
• An Advisory means that the event is either imminent or occurring, however it is less severe than a Warning. The event is a public inconvenience and creates a general hazard.
• A Warning means that the event is either imminent or occurring. Community members should be prepared to take immediate protective action.

Please email your question to the support e-mail for your county:

For Benton County: emergencymanagement@bentoncountyor.gov

For Linn County: help@linnsheriff.org

Click the sign-up link to create your Everbridge Community Profile, add contact information, and select the locations you want to receive alerts for.

Yes. Your contact information is kept confidential and is used only for emergency notification purposes.

There is no cost to register.
Standard call or text messaging rates may apply, depending on your cell phone plan.

Most people rely on cell phones—not landlines.
If you don’t sign up, you may not receive critical, time-sensitive notifications anywhere except your traditional landline (if you still have one). Signing up ensures you receive alerts wherever you are.

The system is address-based, meaning alerts are sent to people who live, work, or have stored locations within the impacted area. Traditional landline telephones are automatically included, but you can choose to receive alerts on cell phones, text messages, emails, work phones, TTY devices, and more by creating an Everbridge Community Profile.

Yes—but only if you create an Everbridge Community Profile and add your cell phone and other preferred contact methods. Landlines are automatically included, but mobile devices are not.

Alerts typically include:

• What the emergency is
• Who is affected
• Protective actions (e.g., “evacuate,” “shelter in place”)
• Where to find more information
  Some alerts request confirmation to ensure you received the message.

Linn-Benton ALERT may be used for a variety of situations, including wildfire evacuations, flooding or dam incidents, hazardous materials spills, law enforcement emergencies, severe weather warnings, and, when appropriate, missing or endangered persons notices.

During emergencies that may affect life safety, public safety officials will send alerts about imminent threats (e.g., evacuation notices, hazardous materials incidents, severe weather). Benton County may also send important non-life-safety messages—such as Red Flag Warnings or significant weather updates—via email.