American emergency alert about to go off.

[Paco Dennis]

Today nearly every cellular phone in America will receive a message from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The message is to test the country’s emergency alert system. Here’s what you need to know about it and what time you can expect to receive the message.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?​

FEMA and the FCC are conducting a test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. The EAS test will be sent via televisions and radios and the WEA test will be sent to cellular phones, including iPhones and Android phones.

WHAT ARE THE TESTS FOR?​

The tests are designed to see how the country’s emergency alert systems are performing. Federal law requires that the emergency alert system is tested at least every three years. As NPR reports, the last test occurred in 2021.

WHAT DO THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEMS WARN OF?​

Both the EAS and WEA are designed to warn the country of sudden emergencies. These emergencies could entail natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes. They can also entail man-made threats, such as an incoming nuclear missile strike or terrorist attack. And if a large asteroid is ever about to smack into the earth, you can expect notification of the cosmic event via the EAS and WEA.

WHAT TIME WILL THE EMERGENCY ALERT TEST SEND A MESSAGE TO MY PHONE?​

The WEA test will be sent to cellular phones at approximately 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time, today, Wednesday, October 4.
More specifically, it will occur at the following time in different time zones:

• 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time
• 1:20 p.m. Central Time
• 12:20 p.m. Mountain Time
• 11:20 a.m. Pacific Time
• 10:20 a.m. Alaska Time
• 8:20 a.m. Hawaii-Aleutian Time

WHAT WILL THE TEST MESSAGE SAY?​

A message alert will appear on your phone stating, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” "Aliens have landed, approach with caution."

https://www.fastcompany.com/90962457/emergency-alert-test-time-zones-opt-out-info-sound-oct-4

What else could it be? "Elvis spotted surfing in L.A. ?" how about "The sky is falling."?

 

[Don M.]

I turned on the TV and cell phone about 1PM, and both had the alert at 1:19.

 

[hawkdon]

Well Boo Hoo I did NOT get the alert here, not on landline celll
fone or tv........snifff.///////

 

[Flarbalard]

Got cell phone msg. No call on land line. Nothing else I know of, but tv and radio weren't on. Nothing on weather radio. Don't know what else was supposed to happen.

 

[Ruthanne]

My cell phone blasted and vibrated at 2:18. My dog got very upset and was barking like crazy. She settled down after awhile. My TV emergency alert came on at 2:20. It wasn't loud but went across the screen. Well that's the excitement for the day...

 

[caroln]

I was at a restaurant when it went off. Phones blasting all over the place!

 

[Balzac]

Enjoying the peace and quiet in li'l ol' England. Can you folks keep the darn noise down a little???

 

[jujube]

Neither one of us got the cell phone test today. I don't know about the TV, because it wasn't on.

 

[Lara]

I didn't know about it when it went off. I've been having some issues with a couple of wall sockets that have flashed red and I thought it was that. I immediately thought there was an electrical fire starting in my walls.

The alarm was SO LOUD I couldn't tell where it was coming from until I saw a notice on my phone after the fact.
Scared the hell outta' me!!

 

[dobielvr]

Just saw my cell phone light up....no alarm.no beep.no nothin'

 

[Jules]

For those that it didn’t work well for, the test accomplished something. They can now analyze the problems in your area.

 

[Pappy]

Loud, quick and over. Not a big deal.

 

[Buckeye]

Loud, quick and over. Not a big deal.

Ditto here in Central Florida.