SURVIVAL APPSWeather alerts: what yellow, orange and red actually mean
October, an evening of rain that wouldn't stop. No unusual sound from my phone. Just a friend texting: "they've closed the underpass near us". The alert had been out for hours, orange, on the Region's website. I'd never gone looking for it, because I figured that if it were serious, my phone would warn me on its own.
What the colors say
In Italy, the weather and hydrogeological alert system has three alert colors (green means no alert), and each one matches a criticality level set by the Civil Protection: yellow for ordinary criticality, orange for moderate criticality, red for high criticality. The color is just a summary: what matters is the scenario that comes with it, meaning the expected phenomenon and the damage it could cause.
- HYDROGEOLOGICAL — landslides, slope failures, runoff: water coming down the hillsides. Can be yellow, orange or red
- HYDRAULIC — rivers and streams rising and possibly overflowing their banks. Three levels here too
- THUNDERSTORMS — intense downpours, lightning, hail, gusts. The top level is orange: there is no specific red for thunderstorms
Why thunderstorms don't get a red
The Civil Protection itself explains it in its document on criticality levels: strong thunderstorms concentrate in a short time over areas that can be very small, which makes it hard to predict precisely where and when. When the situation is truly intense and widespread, it's the hydrogeological alert that expresses it, and that one can be red. A yellow thunderstorm alert doesn't guarantee that nothing will happen where you are, and no alert doesn't rule out local flooding.
IT-Alert doesn't warn you about bad weather
This is the thing that surprised me most. IT-Alert, the message with the different sound that lands on your phone, covers only a few scenarios: nuclear accidents, major industrial accidents, collapse of large dams, volcanic activity. For intense rainfall it's still being trialed, and according to news from May 2026, cell broadcast was judged not workable for this risk: the plan is a dedicated app, which still has to be built. If your phone stays silent, there can still be a weather risk.
Where to look, and when
- REGIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION — your Region's website: bulletins and alerts for your alert zone
- NATIONAL CIVIL PROTECTION — protezionecivile.gov.it, with the national criticality bulletin
- YOUR MUNICIPALITY — every alert, even yellow, reaches the mayors, and municipalities activate the phases set out in their own emergency plan. Look for the plan: it says where the risk areas, escape routes and safe areas are
What to do: before, during, after
The guidance below comes from "Io non rischio", the Civil Protection's flood risk awareness campaign.
Before
- KNOW WHERE YOU ARE — check whether your home or your daily route passes through flood-prone areas
- NOTHING VALUABLE IN THE BASEMENT — documents and important items go on the upper floors
- KIT READY — copies of your documents, a first-aid kit, a flashlight and a battery-powered radio: see the post on the physical kit
- PHONE READY — maps downloaded in advance (offline maps guide) and SOS set up (how to enable it)
During the alert
- DON'T SLEEP IN BASEMENT-LEVEL ROOMS — and don't stay in them
- CHECK YOUR ROUTE BEFORE GOING OUT — and avoid areas that flood
- DON'T RISK YOURSELF FOR THINGS — if you have to move your car or secure something, do it right away, before the water rises, and give up as soon as the road starts flooding
During the flood
- INDOORS — don't go down to the cellar, garage or basement to save belongings. Go up to the higher floors, don't use the elevator. Shut off the gas and electricity, and don't touch electrical appliances with wet hands or feet. Don't drink tap water
- OUTDOORS — move away from flooded areas: even a little moving water can knock you off your feet. Get to high ground, avoiding slopes and embankments. Don't use your car, and stay away from underpasses, riverbanks and bridges. Watch out for holes and open manholes
After
- AUTHORITIES FIRST — wait for instructions before going back in or cleaning up
- GAS AND ELECTRICITY — have them checked before turning them back on
- WATER AND FOOD — no tap water until it's declared safe, and throw away any food that came into contact with floodwater
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a yellow and an orange alert?
Yellow corresponds to ordinary criticality, orange to moderate criticality: the scenarios and the expected damage change, and so do the measures your municipality can activate.
If I don't get an IT-Alert message on my phone, am I safe?
No. IT-Alert is not currently operational for intense rainfall: for bad weather you need to check the civil protection website of your Region.
Why is there no red alert for thunderstorms?
Because thunderstorms are very localized and hard to predict in detail. When the situation becomes intense and widespread, the criticality is expressed through the red hydrogeological alert.
Can I trust the absence of an alert?
Not entirely. The Civil Protection specifies that even with no alert, local flooding, hailstorms and isolated gusts can't be ruled out.
The color comes from the Region; the way up, only you know. May your code survive the apocalypse.