A sample of what the message may look like. | Image: FEMA
FEMA and the FCC are conducting a dual test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Wednesday at about 2:20PM ET. The tests will appear on all consumer cellphones in either English or Spanish, depending on the language you have set, as well as radios and TVs. We regret to inform you that, unlike the national alert that went out in 2021, you can’t opt out of this one — every cellphone that’s switched on, within a cell tower’s range, and using a participating wireless carrier is supposed to receive it. You may recall the Presidential Alert test in 2018 also did not care if you wanted the test or not.
FEMA says that the test will “ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public…