Millions of people will receive an alert on their cellphones on Wednesday but don't worry, it's just a test.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is coordinating with the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a nationwide test of the Wireless Emergency Alert system.
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If you've opted in to receive emergency alerts on your phone, you should receive the test message around 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 11. The message will say: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed." To help ensure that the alert is accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, it will be accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.
At the same time, agencies will also be testing the Emergency Alert System. The EAS national test is very similar to regular monthly tests, during which radios and televisions across the country may interrupt normal programming to play the test message. The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute.
The tests are intended to ensure public safety officials have the methods and systems that will deliver urgent alerts and warnings to the public in times of an emergency or disaster.
In both cases, no action is required on your part. These are simply nationwide tests of the systems.
The systems are used to keep Americans aware of emergencies like severe weather, missing children, active shooters and other critical situations.
FEMA regularly tests the public alert and warning systems to assess the operational readiness of the supporting infrastructure. The tests also help identify any needed technological and administrative improvements to the systems. Information collected from the test event will be used to improve testing capabilities and procedures in the future.
In case the August 11 test is canceled due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, a back-up testing date is scheduled for August 25.
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