McAllen is working to set up a new emergency notification system that will send alerts directly to phones during emergencies like hurricanes or tornadoes.

City leaders approved the purchase, which will cost McAllen about $40,000 a year.

McAllen Assistant City Manager and Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Johnston said the system can alert the entire city or target a specific neighborhood and post on social media.

"This allows us to make sure that not only are we getting critical alerts out to cellphones but also updates to social media as quickly as possible," Johnston said. "We want to make sure we have enhanced ways to get info to the community."

Johnston also said the system can override cellphones to push out emergency notifications.

McAllen hopes to have the system up and running in the next couple of weeks.