Participation in Oregon’s voluntary statewide emergency alert system designed for natural disasters and public safety threats has been far higher in rural counties than in the Portland metro area, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Ohio-based Miami University published their findings Monday in Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal. They found that the OR-Alert system has “surprisingly” high enrollment rates above 100% from counties such as Clatsop, Curry, Douglas and Lincoln — while the Multnomah County area had an enrollment rate of 13% that mostly included “internal Portland employees.” The rates above 100% are likely due to people signing up for the alerts more than once.

“Enrollment also varied geographically, with some rural counties reporting surprisingly high participation rates, while urban areas like Multnomah County showed low participation, leaving large populations more vulnerable,” the study reads.

That’s a reflection of the fact that natural disasters such as landslides and floods are more common in rural Oregon than in the Portland metropolitan area.

The OR-Alert system kicked off in Oregon in 2021 and allows people to visit a statewide portal to connect with local emergency alert systems in all 36 counties and tribal governments across the state who rely upon a universal mass notification service. The system allows for local emergency notification managers to coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which can send alerts to all cellphones in a given area.

While more than 50% of the alerts the system sent out use text messaging, push notifications were “underutilized” at 2%, posing “substantial barriers for time-sensitive earthquake warnings,” according to researchers. They said the geographic and notification-type disparities represent barriers to risk reduction.

“Institutional coordination between emergency management, public health, and community organizations can build the engagement and trust necessary for effective warning response,” the study reads.

The U.S. Geological Survey offers another tool that delivers automatic notifications to people on their cellphones ahead of damaging earthquakes at their locations. That is not an opt-in tool, but recipients must allow their cellphones to receive emergency alerts in their settings.

Shaanth Kodialam Nanguneri is a reporter based in Portland, Oregon covering Gov. Tina Kotek and the Oregon Legislature. He grew up in the Bay Area, California and went on to study at UCLA. He is always interested in stories involving courts, criminal justice, social services and health.