An excellent video describing EMail ALerts and their setup can be found at http://www.storminfo.net/trainingvideo/2011u/EMA/EMA.html .

The setup of automated Email Alerts can be selected via the Tools menu option or via the Command Bar Icons.

A dialog screen is displayed showing all of the current Email Alerts. The system comes predefined with one of each type.

Important: There are 2 pre-requirements to successfully Email these Alerts.

1.     You need to have setup your Email via the User Preferences Option (EMAIL Setup).

2.     You must define the email addresses or groups you would like to send these reports to… via the User Preferences (Email Addressbook). This is required even if you have selected the Outlook method for emailing in the Email setup.

There are 6 types of automatic Email Alerts… All updates, New Storm, Category Change, Location, Location Group, Geographical Area.

More information on Email Alerts (including examples)

The following section will discuss the setup of each type of alert as well as discussing the “error catching” feature of the setup option. Please note that the definition of Automatic Summary Reports and “Other” Automations have a similar look and feel.

The Automated Email Alert Setup screen looks similar to the following.

Section 1, 2, 3, 4, Tabs 6 and 7 are essentially the same for all 6 types of Email Alerts. Section 5 is the only section that varies by type of Alert.

Section 1 indicates the Name of the Alert as well as indicators that control whether this alert is active and also whether it should be automatically generated. It is valid to have an alert that is active with the automatic option turned off. This is typically used when you only want to generate the Alert manually… i.e. selected from the Hurrtrak menu. Please note, you cannot manually generate the New Storm or Change Category Alert. It can only be generated from the automated processes (i.e. when new storm data is received).

Section 2 defines the email address(s) or email groups that you would like to send this type of Alert to. Remember you need to define these emails or group to the Hurrtrak system via the User Preferences / Email addressbook option. Obviously at least one email address must be selected for this alert to be defined correctly.

Section 3 defines the storms you would like considered when running the alert. The “all active storms” selection will select only storms that are currently having advisories issued for them. When you manually run the alert, it will only include storms that have data no more than 18 hours old (the “age” setting can be changed in the user options). With this option you can specify storms to “ignore” via the Select Exceptions command.

The “Selected Storms” option will run the alert for only storms you manually select. You can select those storms via the Select Storms command.

Finally, Global/Advanced users can select or de-select the storm basins they want to include for storm selection. i.e. if you are only interested in the Atlantic and Western Pacific then check only those 2 items.

Note: The New Storm Alert does not consider the Storm Selection criteria. i.e. There is no point of having to define the new storms before they occur. It does consider the basins selected as it will only report on new storms in the basins you have selected.

Section 4 defines which additional information and attachments you would like to include with this alert. Note, the Location Impact Statement is only available for Location Group Alerts.

Section/Tab 6 defines additional text you would like included within the email body of the Alert. This is optional. See example below.

Section/Tab 7 allows the user to adjust the schedule of when this alert can automatically be run. In this way you can create Email alerts only on certain days and times. See example below.

Now let’s look at the one section DOES vary by Automated Email Alert TYPE.

Section 5 is information that is specific to the Alert type being defined.

For the ALL Update, Category Change and New Storm Alerts, this section is disabled… i.e. no additional information is needed.

For the Location Alert, this section appears like the image below.

You can define several locations for each Location Alert. The dialog box for doing so is shown below…

Click here for more information on this dialog box

To add locations, select the Add New Location and answer the questions on the setup “wizard”. If you select multiple locations for the Location Alert, an separate email will be sent for each one to each Email address you defined (assuming the trigger has been met for the location). i.e. if you have 5 locations defined but only 1 is expected to be impacted (triggered), then only 1 Email will be sent. There is one special case related to this we will discuss at the end of this section. Note: There is absolutely no problem with defining only one location per Location Alert.. It may, in fact, simplify things a bit.

As mentioned earlier, the criteria available for location alerts are Wind speed, Timing of wind, Rainfall, Wind probability and “closest point of approach” (of the center of the storm).

For the Location Group Alert, this section appears like the image below. It only needs the Location Group you are defining this alert for and the minimum wind speed (at any of the locations) that will trigger this alert. i.e. if you are only interested when any of “your” locations will be impacted by 50 knot winds, then change the default wind speed to 50 knots. This is for sustained winds only, not gusts.

Finally, for the Geographical Alert type, section 5 allows the user to define the geographical area they are interested in receiving alerts for.

You can define several areas for each Geographical Alert. The dialog box for doing so is shown below…

Click here to find out more about this dialog box

To add additional areas, select the Add New Geo/Area and answer the questions on the setup “wizard”. If you select multiple areas for the Geographical Alert, an separate email will be sent for each one to each Email address you defined (assuming the trigger has been met for the area). i.e. if you have 5 areas defined but only 1 is expected to have an active storm in it, then only 1 Email will be sent. Note: There is absolutely no problem with defining only one area per Geographical Alert.. It may, in fact, simplify things a bit.

SPECIAL LOCATION ALERT TYPE:

For “more expert” users, we have come up with the ability to send Email alerts based on the timing of a trigger wind speed… in an escalating manner.

Let look at an example and then explain how it will behave.

The image below shows a location alert, with 5 entries for Miami. Each one has the same wind speed criteria (34 knots) but the timing for these winds vary for each entry.

As a storm is forecasted to impact Miami, initially the longest period alert will be sent (120 hours). As the storm approaches, the lower period alerts will be sent instead… i.e. in this example, 96, 72, 48 and 24 hours.

One last thing has to be set for this to work properly. One the main Email Alert setup screen, you must select the option “Only send the Alert with the lowest ‘wind period”.

This is a special situation that most users will not necessarily require.

One last topic in this section…. Error Assistance…

The Email Alert Setup dialog is designed to help you along the way. It does this by highlighting areas that need correcting as well as changing the color of the border. So far all of the examples above show a nice green border… which means “all is well”. Let’s look at conditions which will cause errors and how they are demonstrated.

The image below actually shows 2 errors… First no storm basin is selected, next… there are no storms selected (the Selected Storms option is on). Correcting each of these will turn the border green (assuming you have no other errors).

The image below shows the important error of not having selected at least 1 email address to send to.

For the Location alert you can also have an error condition if no locations have been defined.

For the Location Group alert, you must define the Location Group

For the Geographical Area Alert, you need to define at least 1 area.

And finally, similar to the Summary Report setup there is also a “WARNING” type error conditions. A yellow border will appear if the report is defined correctly but either the ACTIVE or AUTOMATION boxes are not checked. This is acceptable under certain conditions.

Remember, an ALL GREEN border means you have defined a “proper” Email Alert. Of course, this Alert will only be created when the storm and trigger settings are satisfied.