“Many of us wonder how to get notifications of the different snow road levels when one is called. How can we get them?“
RICHLAND COUNTY — The answer to that inquiry is just a mouse click away.
Richland County offers emergency alerts about weather and a myriad of other things through its public website.
Residents visiting the county website can sign up to receive emergency and community alerts. These notifications can be received on cell phones, work phones, text messages, emails and home phones.
There is no cost for the service provided by Richland County to residents. According to the county website, notifications are dependent upon external providers and also message and data rates may apply.
Richland County cannot guarantee notifications will be received by the intended recipient, according to the website.
Users must first create a username, password and login by clicking here to start your registration and use a program first approved by the Richland County Board of Commissioners in 2021.
Those who register can then choose from a menu of subjects for which they would like to be notified, including weather. (See chart below, taken from Richland County website).
It’s worth noting the county changed the company handling this service in 2024. Those who registered before then need to re-register.
In April of that year, commissioners approved an annual $21,876 contract with Everbridge to provide the county’s wireless emergency notification system through RC Alerts.
These messages will be sent to whatever phone or email is selected by the user.
(One such message is seen below, received via email on Jan. 1 after a snow emergency was lifted by Sheriff Steve Sheldon.)
To the specific reader question, there are three levels of snow emergency in Ohio, which are decided on a county-by-county basis by the sheriff’s office, often consulting with the county engineer’s office and its crew of snow plows out on the roads.
That’s been the case in the state since 1994.
Here are the three levels:
LEVEL 1: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads also may be icy. Motorists are urged to drive with caution.
LEVEL 2: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads also may be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution.
LEVEL 3: All roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel. No one should be driving during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel or a personal emergency exists. All employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work. Those traveling on the roads may be subject to arrest.