A Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) alert was sent out to the entire county instead of being restricted to a specific polygon as intended.

Root Cause

The issue was caused by the selection of the 'Exclude' option for the polygon in the notification settings. When a polygon is marked as 'Exclude', it is ignored when the message is passed to FEMA. 

Solution

1. Identify the Issue: Confirm that the polygon was marked as 'Exclude' in the notification settings.

   • The polygon will appear in purple if it is set to 'Exclude'.
   • The polygon should be in orange if it is set to 'Include'.

2. Correct the Polygon Settings:

   • Go to the 'Selected Shapes' section in the notification settings.
   • Select the shape you drew for the polygon.
   • Ensure the 'Exclude' switch is not activated.

3. Resend the Notification: Create a new notification with the correct polygon settings and send it through the IPAWS system.

4. Verify with FEMA: Contact FEMA to confirm that the polygon was included in the message.