BellSouth is offering first-of-its-kind service that uses forecasts from The Weather Channel to trigger severe weather alerts to its customers. For $49.99 a year, customers can be alerted to any form of severe weather--tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, etc.,--that might affect their area via messages sent to landline phones, cell phones, text message devices or PCs.

The alerts, co-branded by the telco and the TV channel under the name Notify! are highly customizable, according to a BellSouth spokesman.

"Customers can go to a landing page and sign up for a trial," he said. "They can customize the alerts, choose the ones from a list so they are alerted to whatever type of severe weather impacts their region. Then they choose how to be alerted.

Users can choose up to three telephone numbers that can receive alerts simultaneously, and can even choose a "quiet time" when they don't want alerts to be put through.

The Weather Channel determines the area that needs to be alerted and the messages are recorded by Jim Cantore, an on-camera personality.

BellSouth's geographic region has proven particularly vulnerable to severe weather in recent years, including last year's hurricanes and recent deadly tornadoes.

"This is the first time we've offered something like this," the spokesman said. "Working with industry leader like The Weather Channel is certainly a plus. This is something that is definitely going to benefit our customers in Gulf Coast region particularly."