Beacon allows you to create customized weather alerts, using the perils, thresholds, and locations important to you.
In this section, we'll discuss how to create a Beacon alert.
Creating an Alert
From the Beacon homepage, select the New Alert icon at the top of the page.
Now, choose which peril you would like to create an alert for.
For this demonstration, we will select rain as our peril.
After selecting the desired peril, you will be taken to the alert configuration page.
In this step, we'll determine the:
- Alert Name
- Alert Locations
- Alert Threshold
- Alert Forecast Length & Alerting Frequency
- Alert Recipients
1. Name the Alert
Simply type the desired name of your alert in the text box at the top of the page.
2. Select the Alert Locations
Start by selecting the LOCATIONS tab.
To select a location, enter the address into the search bar or simply select a location on the map.
For more location options, select the magnifying glass within the search bar. This will reveal the following search options:
- Single Location: Allows you to select a single location by typing in an address
- Multiple Locations: Allows you to enter and add multiple locations to your alert
- Polygon: Allows you to draw a polygon encompassing the locations for your alert
- Rectangle: Allows you to draw a rectangle encompassing the location for your alert
- PLSS (Public Land Survey System): Allows you to select a location using its legal land description
3. Select the Alert Threshold
In this step, you'll select the severity/amount and units that will trigger your alert.
Select the THRESHOLDS tab and enter the desired value for your alert threshold.
Each Beacon peril has a default threshold value, but you may adjust this threshold according to your business needs.
4. Select the Forecast Length and Alerting Frequency
Staying in the THRESHOLDS tab, you will now select the forecast length and alerting frequency.
Forecast Length
- Beacon forecasts are available for time periods for 18 hours to 7 days in advance of the event.
- Select your forecast length via the drop down.
Alerting Frequency
- Beacon alerts can be sent up to 4 times per day, or every 6 hours.
- Select your alerting frequency via the drop down.
Forecasts are available up to 7 days in advance for all perils except Hail. Conditions for Hail forecasts are only available for 0-3 days.
5. Select the Alert Recipients
Also within the THRESHOLDS tab, at the bottom you'll find the Beacon alert contact section.
If you have previously loaded contacts into Beacon, simply select the box next to the recipient’s name in the address book to add them to your new alert.
To create a new contact, select Add New Contact.
To add multiple new contacts at once, select Upload Contacts.
Now your location, threshold, forecast length, frequency, and recipients are set, it’s time to customize your email.
To customize your alert email, select the MESSAGING tab.
To ensure the effectiveness and relevancy of the alert, you may customize the:
- E-mail subject line
- Introductory body text
- Closing body text
Your alert is now ready to deploy!
Once you are satisfied with your alert, click CREATE ALERT at the top of the page.
The CREATE ALERT button will illuminate in white once you have made all prerequisite selections. If you believe you are done and the CREATE ALERT button is not active (as shown below), please double check that you have selected:
- Alert Name
- 1+ Location
- Alert Threshold
- Forecast Length
- Alerting Frequency
- 1+ Recipients
The summary bar along the top of the page is helpful to keep track of your selections.
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