Emergency Management

Aerial view of Landa Park at Landa Park with snow on the ground
Weather Alert Snow
Get Emergency Notifications on Your Phone Register Your Cell Phone It Could Save Your Life
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Sign Up for Emergency Notifications on Your Phone

The Regional Emergency Alert Network (often referred to as reverse 911) is a system that lets police, fire, and other public safety officials send you alerts during emergencies. Residents are encouraged to register their mobile phones to receive emergency alerts directly to their smartphones. While landlines are contacted automatically, cell phone numbers must be registered to receive alerts. Registering is free. Visit newbraunfels.gov/reverse911 to learn more and sign up.

Emergency Preparedness

Disaster preparedness means helping to make every individual – no matter what age – know their hazards and know how to be properly prepared in the event of any number of emergencies or disasters. Knowing how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster can not only make you feel more secure, it may save your life or the life of a loved one. The following are some steps to take to better aide in becoming best prepared for any type of disaster.

MYTH: I DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT DISASTERS WHERE I LIVE.

Emergency preparedness is not only for Californians, Midwesterners and Gulf Coast residents. Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime. Americans also travel more than ever before to areas with different hazard risks than at home. Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. Use this site to learn about potential emergencies that can happen and how to prepare for and respond to them.

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Flood Warning Sirens

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You might have seen or heard these sirens around town. They are our Outdoor Warning Sirens keeping you safe! 

Being in Flash Flood Alley, New Braunfels has historically faced several severe floods, highlighting the need for a robust warning system, which led to installing these sirens across the city.

New Braunfels City Council approved the purchase of sirens in late 2010 and they were installed in early 2011. There are a total of eight sirens that sit atop 40-foot galvanized poles along the Comal River, Guadalupe River, and Dry Comal Creek. Those sirens are located at:

  • River Acres Park (Fair Lane and River Acres)
  • Gruene River Crossing (Ervendberg Avenue and Gruene Road)
  • Fire Station 3 (Gruene Harley-Davidson Parking Lot)
  • Torrey Park (East Torrey Street and Gruene Road)
  • Prince Solms Park (Tube Chute)
  • Boy Scout Hut (East Coll Street and South Market Avenue)
  • HEB Soccer Complex (Live Oak Avenue)
  • Camp Comal (End of Kuehler Avenue)

These sirens are strategically placed to alert those in flood-prone areas or areas that may be affected by rising river levels. That includes those who have homes in those areas as well as campgrounds, RV parks, and businesses. Each siren is loud enough to be heard at least a mile away, and four of the sirens are also equipped with voice-announcement capabilities that are audible within half a mile.

The system, which can be used for a variety of emergencies beyond floods (like fires, tornadoes, or hazardous material spills) is part of a multi-tiered alert system. Beyond the sirens, residents can also register their mobile phones to receive emergency notifications from the city’s Emergency Notification System (ENS), commonly called Reverse 911. Door-to-door notifications by first responders, social media alerts, website alerts, as well as text and email alerts are all part of the city’s emergency notification plans. In the case of potential flooding, the warning sirens are manually enacted by Fire, Police, and Emergency Management personnel based on river flow data and information from the National Weather Service. Depending on the scope of the storms and the unfolding flood emergency, those sirens can also be accompanied by face-to-face evacuation notifications, reverse 911 phone calls, and additional digital alerts by email, website, and social media.

PLEASE NOTE: Sirens are routinely tested at 11:58am on the first Tuesday of each month

Resources