https://www.recode.net/2017/8/26/16205010/hurricane-harvey-texas-att-verizon-wireless-telecom-emergency-alert-system

As Hurricane Harvey bombards Texas, a different, decidedly more political storm is brewing in the U.S. capital — over the emergency alerts that first responders around the country are able to send to smartphones.

For years, the Federal Communications Commission has endeavored to upgrade the sort of short text-based messages — often accompanied by a loud alarm — that authorities have used since 2012 to warn Americans about rising floods, abducted children and violent criminals at large.