Current:Home > InvestYour cellphone will get an alert on Wednesday. Don't worry, it's a test. -AssetLink
Your cellphone will get an alert on Wednesday. Don't worry, it's a test.
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:19:21
Americans' cellphones will get an alert from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday. But don't worry, there is no need to panic -- it is only a test.
Every year, FEMA partners with national wireless carriers to run a test of the emergency alert system that is used to warn the public about national emergencies. FEMA, in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission, will be sending a WEA alert to cellphones, while an EAS test will be sent to televisions and radios.
Both tests will take place at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday.
"If your mobile phone is on and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider, you should receive the national test. Wireless providers will transmit the national test for 30 minutes, but your phone should only receive it once," according to an alert from FEMA.
In a pre-recorded video, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said using the alert system is vital during emergency situations to communicate to the public.
"We recognize that in disasters, seconds count," Criswell said. "Getting alerts out promptly to our communities saves lives."
She added, "We want to make sure that when it counts, we can keep you informed."
veryGood! (63)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Nobel-Winning Economist to Testify in Children’s Climate Lawsuit
- Puerto Rico Considers 100% Renewable Energy, But Natural Gas May Come First
- Clouds of Concern Linger as Wildfires Drag into Flu Season and Covid-19 Numbers Swell
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- If Aridification Choked the Southwest for Thousands of Years, What Does The Future Hold?
- Solar’s Hitting a Cap in South Carolina, and Jobs Are at Stake by the Thousands
- Few Southeast Cities Have Climate Targets, but That’s Slowly Changing
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Fearing for Its Future, a Big Utility Pushes ‘Renewable Gas,’ Urges Cities to Reject Electrification
Ranking
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Man in bulletproof vest fatally shoots 5, injures 2 in Philadelphia; suspect in custody
- Danny Bonaduce Speaks Out After Undergoing Brain Surgery
- Wendy Williams Receiving Treatment at Wellness Facility
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Ariana Madix Reveals Where She Stands on Marriage After Tom Sandoval Affair
- Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, Robert De Niro's grandson, dies at age 19
- Melissa Rivers Shares What Saved Her After Mom Joan Rivers' Sudden Death
Recommendation
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
Warming Trends: Battling Beetles, Climate Change Blues and a Tool That Helps You Take Action
4 dead after small plane crashes near South Carolina golf course
New Climate Warnings in Old Permafrost: ‘It’s a Little Scary Because it’s Happening Under Our Feet.’
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Massachusetts Sues Exxon Over Climate Change, Accusing the Oil Giant of Fraud
A California company has received FAA certification for its flying car
No major flight disruptions from new 5G wireless signals around airports