Inside Notify NYC alerts: How the city tracks storms and emergencies

When forecasts show dangerous conditions, like flash flooding or extreme heat, the team sends alerts through Notify NYC to give residents time to prepare.

Shakti Denis

Jul 15, 2025, 2:20 AM

Updated 4 hr ago

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After heavy rain and flooding across the city, many New Yorkers may be paying closer attention to the Notify NYC alerts that pop up on their phones.
Those warnings come directly from the city’s Office of Emergency Management, where staff at the Watch Command monitor weather, traffic and potential hazards around the clock.
When forecasts show dangerous conditions, like flash flooding or extreme heat, the team sends alerts through Notify NYC to give residents time to prepare.
“They're looking at traffic. They're looking at EMS calls, FDNY and police responses, utility systems with Con Ed, and the weather, the airport… so they're monitoring everything going on in the city 24/7 to see if there are things that are happening that we might need to respond to,” said OEM Commissioner Zach Iscol.
City officials encourage New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC to receive real-time updates directly to their phones.