A wireless message sent Thursday night from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security to alert citizens about a winter storm warning incorrectly appeared as a civil emergency message because of a technical problem, authorities said.
GEMA tweeted: “We are investigating a technical glitch that caused a WEA to appear as “civil emergency message” instead of Winter Storm Warning.”
Civil emergency messages are sent for imminent, critical situations.
The winter storm warning is for North Georgia from Friday at 1 p.m. to Saturday at 1 p.m.
The alert was sent to people in those 23 counties: Banks, Bartow, Chattooga, Cherokee, Catoosa, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Pickens, Towns, Union, Walker, White and Whitfield.
The text of the message should have read: “A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for your area. Tune to local TV or radio stations,” GEMA said.
GEMA has contacted local EMAs, instructing them to let the public know of the technical issue.
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