On Wednesday 10- 3, you’ll see an unusual message in your inbox but it’s nothing to worry about. The government is testing out a new system to alert folks via text message in case of a serious weather situation or other type of national disaster.
At 2:18 p.m. EDT, FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) will send a text to every cell phone in the US.
Your phone will make a loud noise and you’ll receive a pop-up that says, “Presidential Alert” along with a message reading, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
You’ll also receive a message that’s similar in wording to emergency alert tests you see on TV and hear on radio.
“THIS IS A TEST of the National Emergency Alert System. This system was developed by broadcast and cable operators in voluntary cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission, and local authorities to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency an official message would have followed the tone alert you heard at the start of this message. A similar wireless emergency alert test message has been sent to all cell phones nationwide. Some cell phones will receive the message; others will not. No action is required.”
Again, no action is required, as they say, “This is only a test.”
Plans for this system were signed into law by President Obama back in 2016.
You can click here for more information from the government: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test