Emergency alert test to hit all cell phones, TVs, and radios at 2:20 pm ET today
Enlarge / Message sent during a test of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System on Oct. 3, 2018. (credit: Getty Images | Bloomberg)
Nationwide tests of the US Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system will send messages to all TVs, radios, and cell phones today, October 4, starting at around 2:20 pm ET.
The tests are coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission. Similar tests were conducted in previous years, including 2021 and 2018.
Today's "national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities," FEMA said yesterday. "The WEA portion of the test will be directed to consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all WEA-compatible cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset."