OR-Alert: how to get emergency texts for your Oregon county

OR-Alert is Oregon’s program to give all 36 counties and tribal governments tools for emergency alerts. The public site is oralert.gov. It is a finder, not a single inbox for the whole state. You search by county, city, tribe, or ZIP code. The site then sends you to that place’s own sign-up form.

The state says the main system in use is Everbridge, and that Everbridge is used by all 36 Oregon counties and some tribes. You can also make one Everbridge Community profile and add more than one county. The form asks for basic contact details, such as a name and a phone number. Alerts are free. Your phone carrier may still charge normal text rates.

A short option on the same page: text your ZIP code to 888777 for basic alerts. You can also download the Everbridge app. To stop texts, the page says to text STOP or use the unsubscribe link in an email.

These alerts are sent by public-safety and emergency-management offices at the local, tribal, county, or state level, depending on the hazard. They can also use FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, which can reach cell phones in a mapped area even if you never signed up. Signing up still matters, because local messages often carry instructions that a wireless emergency alert does not.

OR-Alert does not replace your county sheriff, your county emergency manager, or local radio. The oralert.gov page says to check the local county or tribe site and local news for more detail. Notice Nearby does not send these alerts and does not see who signed up.

If you live in more than one county during the week, add each county. A work address and a home address can both be on one profile. The state says one local profile can hold up to five addresses.